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Cave Nectar Bats visiting flowers of Musa ‘Cavendish’

on 12th January 2015

An earlier post caught the Cave Nectar Bats (Eonycteris spelaea) visiting flowers of the banana plant (Musa ‘Raja’) at the stage when the inflorescence was putting forth male flowers LINK

This post documents the Cave Nectar Bat visiting the flowers of Musa ‘Cavendish’ during the nights of 28-29th December 2014.

The above video clip shows the inflorescence exposing its last hand of female flowers. Above this hand are the earlier hands of female flowers, now developing into fruits.

In the above video clip, the lowermost flowering hand represents the transition between the female and male flowers. Earlier hands are all developing into fruits. The lowermost hand, covered with a large reddish bract, has only a single female flower, seen in the foreground with a prominent green ovary (see also top image). Further inside, blocked by the single female flower, are all male flowers. Visiting bats concentrate on the inner male flowers with plentiful nectar.

Flowering hands found within the compact inflorescence bud are all male flowers.

YC Wee
Singapore
January 2015

If you like this post please tap on the Like button at the left bottom of page. Any views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors/contributors, and are not endorsed by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM, NUS) or its affiliated institutions. Readers are encouraged to use their discretion before making any decisions or judgements based on the information presented.

YC Wee

Dr Wee played a significant role as a green advocate in Singapore through his extensive involvement in various organizations and committees: as Secretary and Chairman for the Malayan Nature Society (Singapore Branch), and with the Nature Society (Singapore) as founding President (1978-1995). He has also served in the Nature Reserve Board (1987-1989), Nature Reserves Committee (1990-1996), National Council on the Environment/Singapore Environment Council (1992-1996), Work-Group on Nature Conservation (1992) and Inter-Varsity Council on the Environment (1995-1997). He is Patron of the Singapore Gardening Society and was appointed Honorary Museum Associate of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) in 2012. In 2005, Dr Wee started the Bird Ecology Study Group. With more than 6,000 entries, the website has become a valuable resource consulted by students, birdwatchers and researchers locally and internationally. The views and opinions expressed in this article are his own, and do not represent those of LKCNHM, the National University of Singapore or its affiliated institutions.

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