Polinización en <i>Bactris gasipaes</i> H.B.K. (Palmae): Nota adicional

Abstract

The purpose of this short paper is to provide some supplementary information for a previously published article on the pollination of Pejibaye. In the former article it was established that three methods of pollination –insect, wind and gravity – occur in this palm; and that the curculionid Derelomus palmarum Champ. was the main pollinator in populations from Costa Rica. It is here reported that in the Pejibaye populations from El Chapare in Bolivia and other Amazon Basin areas, such as Manaus in Brasil. Derelomus palmarum is substituted mainly by one species of another very closely related genus -Phyllotrox- which is not yet described in the literature. Also, another undescribed species of Phyllotrox was found to be the main pollinator of another unidentified species of Bactris from Bolivia. In both cases, a second undescribed species of Phyllotrox accompanied the main pollinator. That secondary pollinator was also different for both species of Bactris. It is postulated that if Bactris is a monophyletic genus most probably the pollinators of its numerous species must be found among members of the tribe Derelomini, mainly from these two genera, Derelomus and Phyllotrox. A short discussion is also given on the possible relationship between these two populations of Pejibaye (from the Amazon Basin and northwestern side of the Andean Mountains) based on these closely related insect pollinators. Mention is also made of the possible predominant role of the curculionids as pollinators of the palms.