Trophic Facilitation Between a Stingless Bee and a Nectarivorous Bat in <scp> <i>Senna macranthera</i> </scp> (Fabaceae)

ABSTRACT Facilitative interactions between invertebrates and vertebrates are rarely documented, especially those involving trophic mechanisms. Here, we report a novel case of facilitation between the stingless bee Trigona spinipes and the nectarivorous bat Glossophaga soricina , observed in an urban coastal area in southeastern Brazil. Bees were seen wounding pedicels of Senna macranthera trees during the day, inducing sap exudation. At night, bats visited these sap sources, licking the exudate without creating wounds themselves. This observation represents a rare case of indirect trophic facilitation involving distantly related taxa and expands our understanding of cross‐taxon interactions in urban ecological contexts.

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Publication Details

Journal
Ethology
Published
2025-11-10
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/eth.70034
Primary Topic
Bat Biology and Ecology Studies
Type
article
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article

Trophic Facilitation Between a Stingless Bee and a Nectarivorous Bat in Senna macranthera (Fabaceae)

Crasso Paulo Bosco Breviglieri
Ethology
Bat Biology and Ecology Studies
article

Trophic Facilitation Between a Stingless Bee and a Nectarivorous Bat in Senna macranthera (Fabaceae)

Crasso Paulo Bosco Breviglieri
article en

Abstract

ABSTRACT Facilitative interactions between invertebrates and vertebrates are rarely documented, especially those involving trophic mechanisms. Here, we report a novel case of facilitation between the stingless bee Trigona spinipes and the nectarivorous bat Glossophaga soricina , observed in an urban coastal area in southeastern Brazil. Bees were seen wounding pedicels of Senna macranthera trees during the day, inducing sap exudation. At night, bats visited these sap sources, licking the exudate without creating wounds themselves. This observation represents a rare case of indirect trophic facilitation involving distantly related taxa and expands our understanding of cross‐taxon interactions in urban ecological contexts.

EthologyVol. 132(2)
Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP) (BR)
Openalex Percentile: Top 74%
Bat Biology and Ecology Studies
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