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Image Title: Artibeus lituratus the Great Fruit Bat, Feeding on the Infructescences of Cecropia sp.
Image Credit: Merlin D. Tuttle
AJB Editor: Karl Niklas, Cornell University
Intended End User: Teacher, Student
License Details: BSA - Terms for Image Use
Copyright held by: BSA,
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About the Image

Artibeus lituratus, the great fruit bat, feeding on the infructescences of Cecropia sp. Species of Artibeus are important dispersers of Cecropia. Morphological and anatomical study has revealed that the dispersal unit of Cecropia is the entire fruit, not just the seed. Bats consume the fleshy floral parts surrounding the fruits and disperse the fruits.

Link to the AJB Abstract for the article:

Cecropia as a food resource for bats in French Guiana and the significance of fruit structure in seed dispersal and longevity

National Science Foundation  Development Supported by the National Science Foundation