Life history patterns of coleopteran pollinators of Annona crassiflora Mart. in the Brazilian Cerrado

The large floral chambers of the Neotropical Annonaceae are pollinated by large beetles of the tribe Cyclocephalini Laporte (Melolonthidae). Previous research indicates that, depending on the geographic area, the assemblage of Cyclocephalini pollinators may differ. In this study, pollinators of Annona crassiflora Mart. were surveyed in the Cerrado of Chapada dos Guimaraes, Mato Grosso, Brazil, for the first time. The analysis of 74 flowers from 24 A. crassiflora individuals revealed that the principal pollinator was Cyclocephala octopunctata Burmeister. The secondary pollinator, Cyclocephala celata Dechambre, and C. octopunctata exhibited behaviour that may promote cross pollination, visiting both female- and male-phase flowers, touching stigmas and anthers and becoming coated in pollen during anthesis. This is the first record of C. celata, a species commonly found pollinating Araceae in the Atlantic Forest, as a pollinator of an Annonaceae species in the Cerrado. Additionally, an interim phase between the female and male phases of A. crassiflora is documented here for the first time.