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this post was submitted on 13 Nov 2023
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Bats
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Bats are cool
Bats are the only true flying mammals. There are over 1,400 species of bats, and they can be found on nearly every part of the planet. Not only are they cute, they are also important...
Studying how bats use echolocation has helped scientists develop navigational aids for the blind. Without bats’ pollination, seed dispersal, and pest control we wouldn’t have bananas, avocados, mangoes, agave, or cacao… that’s right, bats bring us tequila and chocolate!
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I'm back: although the top ten search results say bats pollinate cacao, I can find no convincing evidence except that the "chocolate midge" is the only cacao pollinator.
But bats eat midges, is the pollen somehow making it through their tract?
Bat people where are you
I found this
Me too, but I can't find any specific information on how bats pollinate cacao or if bats are eating other organisms that feed on chocolate midges or what.
That study might be what all the BuzzFeed lists and everything are referring to, since every mention of bats and cacao maker the same vague assertion of why you should thank bats for chocolate.
While perhaps misleadingly phrased, if taken as two separate ideas ("Thank bats for chocolate", full stop, "bats pollinate 300 species of plants"), they're not necessarily saying to thank bats for chocolate because they are responsible for their pollination.
I have no background in this subject beyond what I've read in the comments here, but it seems likely that the bats apply predatory pressure on insects that would otherwise themselves prey upon the pollinating midges, or the plant itself.
In this way, the bats contribute to the production of chocolate by reducing predatory pressure on the midges which are actually carrying out the pollination process.
I was referring to this result while looking this up:
I totally agree, I replied somewhere else that I'm pretty sure all these listicles are mindlessly refrencing one other and any kernel of truth probably stems from bats eating insects that eat midges.
Pls see my comment - I believe bats disperse seeds for cacao, and that's what the picture says. Although I can now also see some sites saying they pollinate it, too.
Ah, there is the kernel! Thank you very much for bringing your comment to my attention, appreciate it.
That makes sense, since the pollen wouldn't have survived their metabolism but the seeds are evolved to.
I think I was so interested that I immediately tried to find out about bats and cacao and so many of the listicles said pollinate I got confused.
Great.
I'll post some cacao flowers when the sun comes up.
bat pollinated flowers are almost always large and tubular. because bats are large, at least relative to insects, and even then, I don't think a bee could successfully pollinate a cacao. suns up in 1hr.
I looked them up as soon as I saw your comment and actually saw a midge on the edge of one, so I totally agree.
Just wondering what the kernel of truth all of these listicles are referencing is.
This is a cacao flower. It's about 5 mm wide (half a centimeter). It has no visible nectaries, and it seems like the pollen are in pollenia attached and guarded by anther shields. Like wise, the stigma has some filimants (maybe infertile anthers?) that also appear to be for blocking self pollination. None of that speaks to bat pollination and unlikely even pollination by European honey bees. This kind of floral arrangement would speak to a specific species that needs to be just the right size to get a pollenia stuck to it, then to be able to move that polenia past the filaments around the stigma on another flower. More akin to an orchid or milkweed style of pollination.
(uploading a video too, but it will be a few minutes)
Makes sense, there's no evidence I can find that bats pollinate them either, just broad statements and puff pieces and listicles.
Thanks for posting the pictures though, that'll be interesting for anyone visiting this thread
Here is the video, just posted
https://youtu.be/fFvCQ-pDkwY?si=-pYmHOv4g57TJtYM