Small pteropodid bats are important pollinators of durian in Terengganu Malaysia

Hasrul Zaman Hassan Basri, . and Muhammad Syamsul Aznan Ariffin, . and Muhammad Nur Hamzah Zulfemi, . and Nor Zalipah Mohamed, . and Suey Yee Low, . and Harizah Nadiah Hamzah, . and Siti Nor Shaffinaf Mohamad Shukri, . and Aida Hidayah Abu Samah, . and Muhammad Haffidzie Mohd Shuhaimi, . and Muhammad Aidil Zahidin, . Small pteropodid bats are important pollinators of durian in Terengganu Malaysia. pp. 583-597. ISSN 1511-3701

Bats are often misunderstood as agricultural pests and have received little attention for conservation efforts. However bats are critical pollinators to commercially important agricultural products such as durians. This study intends to confirm the role of small pteropodid bats as pollinating agents to flowering durian trees. Samplings were conducted in April 2018 to record bats visiting the flowers of two durian species Durio zibethinus and Durio lowianus at Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) Jerangau Terengganu. Captured bats were swabbed for conspecific pollen load on their bodies to determine their potential role as pollinators. One hundred thirty-one (131) pollen swabs were collected from three pteropodid bat species: Eonycteris spelaea Dobson Cynopterus brachyotis Dobson and Cynopterus horsfieldii Gray. Only E. spelaea and C. brachyotis however were found with conspecific pollen loads on their bodies. Between the two E. spelaea showed a higher potential to be the pollinating agent for the durian trees. Hence they recorded more individuals carrying many conspecific pollen grains while visiting the trees. Thus this finding will hopefully reduce the misconceptions held on bats and conserve them in Malaysia.

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Abstract

Bats are often misunderstood as agricultural pests and have received little attention for conservation efforts. However bats are critical pollinators to commercially important agricultural products such as durians. This study intends to confirm the role of small pteropodid bats as pollinating agents to flowering durian trees. Samplings were conducted in April 2018 to record bats visiting the flowers of two durian species Durio zibethinus and Durio lowianus at Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) Jerangau Terengganu. Captured bats were swabbed for conspecific pollen load on their bodies to determine their potential role as pollinators. One hundred thirty-one (131) pollen swabs were collected from three pteropodid bat species: Eonycteris spelaea Dobson Cynopterus brachyotis Dobson and Cynopterus horsfieldii Gray. Only E. spelaea and C. brachyotis however were found with conspecific pollen loads on their bodies. Between the two E. spelaea showed a higher potential to be the pollinating agent for the durian trees. Hence they recorded more individuals carrying many conspecific pollen grains while visiting the trees. Thus this finding will hopefully reduce the misconceptions held on bats and conserve them in Malaysia.

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Item Type:	Article
AGROVOC Term:	Pollinators
AGROVOC Term:	Durio zibethinus
AGROVOC Term:	Bats
AGROVOC Term:	Sampling
AGROVOC Term:	Data analysis
AGROVOC Term:	Ecological agriculture
AGROVOC Term:	Wildlife conservation
Depositing User:	Mr. AFANDI ABDUL MALEK
Last Modified:	24 Apr 2025 00:55
URI:	http://webagris.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/10140

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