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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 46(1)

Rodents may be important pollinators of banksias in subtropical Australia

Sean A. Webster A B and Ross L. Goldingay https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6684-9299 A *
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Faculty of Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, PO Box 157, Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia.

B Present address: Kyogle, NSW 2474, Australia.

* Correspondence to: ross.goldingay@scu.edu.au

Handling Editor: Karl Vernes

Australian Mammalogy 46, AM23019 https://doi.org/10.1071/AM23019
Submitted: 28 April 2023  Accepted: 12 September 2023  Published: 5 October 2023

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of the Australian Mammal Society.

Abstract

Knowledge of the role of non-flying mammals in the pollination of the Australian flora is still incomplete. We captured non-flying mammals visiting Banksia ericifolia in north-east New South Wales and sampled pollen from their heads. The grassland melomys (Melomys burtoni) was captured >4 times more often than the house mouse (Mus musculus) or the swamp rat (Rattus lutreolus). Nocturnal pollen loads (mean 295 ± 53 grains) measured on the melomys are among the highest for an Australian non-flying mammal. Pollen removal from flowers at night was widespread. These observations suggest the grassland melomys is likely to play an important role in the pollination of subtropical B. ericifolia.

Keywords: banksia anthesis, banksia pollination, canopy live-trapping, flower visitors, mammal pollination, non‐flying mammal pollination, pollen smears, rodent pollination.

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