Little Fig Bat
Ariteus Fraterculus
Due to the temperature rise of the Earth, the lifespan of fig wasps - the primary pollinators of figs - gradually decreased, eventually leading to their extinction. As figs are an essential part of ecosystems in most tropical forests and woodlands, bats in the same habitats slowly evolved to replace fig wasps and their functions.
General Features
The small size of little fig bats allows them to penetrate figs and pollinate them - their body
length is 2-3mm and their weight is around 2 mg.
These bats have also developed antennas for smell, taste, and communication with other bats to locate potential mates and fig trees.
Pollination process
Female fig bats covered in pollen enter a fig gall, where they lay eggs and pollinate other flowers. The male bats born from these eggs fertilize the females and dig a tunnel. Females then leave through these tunnels to pollinate and lay eggs in other figs.
