Abstract
The reproductive phenology and guild of the floral visitors of Canistropsis microps in an Atlantic Forest area in Ilha Grande, RJ were studied for 4 years. The rates of flowering, fruiting and mortality were related to air temperature, rainfall and photoperiod. To register the flower visitors, observations were carried out for 5 days in each reproductive season. The flowering and fruiting occurred in the rainy season and were positively related to the studied climatic variables, whereas the highest mortality rates occurred in the dry season and were negatively related to the climatic variables. The guild of floral visitors of C. microps was composed of Hymenoptera, characterizing the species as a melittophilous plant. These results indicate that the rainy season presents more favourable conditions for investment in sexual reproduction, besides being the period in which potential pollinators have larger population densities and a longer period of activity.
Acknowledgements
This study is part of the results of the “Ecology, Conservation and Management of Ecosystems of southeastern Brazil” program of the Department of Ecology of Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcântara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. E. Leme kindly identified the bromeliad studied. We also thank T.C. Rocha-Pessôa, M.B. Vecchi and F.H. Hatano for assistance in the field. T.C. Rocha-Pessôa, D. Vrcibradic, R.D. Antonini, E. Ribeiro and M.C. Kiefer reviewed the manuscript, offering helpful suggestions. During the study A. F. Nunes-Freitas received a grant from the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – CAPES (Process No. 990207-7). C. F. D. Rocha received grants from the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro – FAPERJ (Process No. E-26/170.884/2002) and from Conselho Nacional do Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico CNPq (Processes No 304791/2010-5 and 470265/2010-8).