USO DE ÓLEO VOLÁTIL DE Piper amalago L. NA ATRAÇÃO DE MORCEGOS FRUGÍVOROS

Abstract

ABSTRACT The use of volatile oils extracted from chiropterochoric fruits has been investigated so that the great number of seeds spread by fruit-eating bats in degraded areas may be potentialized. Since Phyllostomidae mainly use smell to locate ripe fruits, this current experiment tested the effect of volatile oils from the fruit and leaves of Piper amalago L., frequently consumed by these animals, as bait for their capture. The volatile oils were extracted by Clevenger apparatus by hydrodistillation technique. Attraction efficiency was tested in a Semidecidual Seasonal Forest in southern Brazil. Ten mist nets in two groups, control (without any bait) and test (with bait) were exposed every month between March and June 2012, during three consecutive nights. Sample effort was equal to 33,284m².h. Thirty-nine captures (78%) occurred for the test group during the period and 11 captures (22%) for the control group. The volatile oils from the fruit and leaves of Piper amalago attracted bats of the species Sturnira lilium (E. Geoffroy, 1810), confirming pioneer studies in the state of Paraná, Brazil.