Male chemical signalling to recruit females in the greater short-nosed fruit bat Cynopterus sphinx

Mate attraction via chemosignalling is common in group-living mammals. In the greater short-nosed fruit bats, Cynopterus sphinx, it remains unclear whether males use chemosignals to attract females. Here, we use field observations to describe patterns of male chemosignalling in this species, then use preference test in captivity to infer the function of chemosignals. We observed that males engage in chemosignalling through wing fanning after marking their leaf 'tent' roosts with saliva. The male fanned each wing alternatively and vigorously and performed frequent tongue flicks to the wing membrane. Such behaviour is exhibited towards females that returned to the tent. Afterwards, the male embraced the female with both wings. Wing fanning and tent marking occurred more often during the mating season than the non-mating season. To infer the role of chemosignals in recruiting females, we performed two different choice tests. In the first test, we tested whether females preferred the tent containing cotton balls that were rubbed gently and repeatedly on the ventral side of the plagiopatagium of the male, versus a control tent without any conspecific odour. In the second test, we tested whether females preferred a tent that was marked by a male's saliva versus a control tent without such markings. The result of both tests indicated that females recognized the saliva and 'scent' from the wings of males, since females always preferred tents with male chemosignals over the controls. Our findings suggest that the recruitment of females and subsequent formation of a harem in the greater short-nosed fruit bats is influenced by male chemosignals.

Automated summary

Male greater short-nosed fruit bats attract females through wing fanning and tent marking with saliva to release chemosignals. Experimental results show that females consistently preferred tents with male chemosignals, indicating the importance of chemosignals in male recruitment of females and subsequent harem formation.