Table 4. Number of pollen grains carried by M. costarricensis (M.c.) and E. kamerunicus (E.k.) adults collected from female inflorescences in anthesis in two different zones in Costa Rica.

Group  of insects1 Average number of pollen grains adhered to the body 2 Grains easily loosened 3 Estmated amount of pollen carried per insect 4
Female Male Female Male Female Male
M.c. E.k. M.c. E.k. M.c. E.k. M.c. E.k. M.c. E.k. M.c. E.k.
Coto (may)
1 3.9 349.3 3.6 152.2 11.9 381.4 10.8 166.2 15.8 730.7 14.4 318.4
2 3.1 121.1 3.5 2114.7 17.8 50.9 198.8 875.3 20.9 172.0 23.3 299.0
3 6.2 334.6 5.3 548.5 14.2 230.0 12.3 377.0 20.4 564.6 17.6 925.5
4 5.0 248.8 5.0 232.0 20.7 124.1 20.7 115.8 25.7 372.9 25.5 347.8
5 1.8 57.8 2.3 84.5 17.5 742.3 23.3 1086.2 19.7 800.1 25.6 1170.7
6 4.4 133.2 3.8 185.7 9.6 384.8 8.3 536.0 14.0 518.0 12.1 721.7
7 2.0 107.4 2.0 345.5 14.4 136.3 14.4 438.4 16.4 243.7 16.4 783.9
8 2.0 156.8 1.7 1025.0 8.1 170.4 6.7 1114.2 10.1 327.2 8.4 2139.2
9 1.9 128.2 2.5 - 6.1 317.6 9.5 - 8.0 445.8 12.0 -
10 2.4 136.0 2.4 298.0 8.9 149.5 8.8 327.4 11.3 285.5 11.2 625.4
Mean 3.3 177.3 3.2 554.0 12.9 268.7 13.4 559.6 16.2 446.0 16.6 1113.6
Quepos (July)
  3.3 72.5 6.7 110.0 3.2 355.9 5.7 539.5 5.6 428.4 12.3 649.5
  2.9 91.1 3.7 92.0 3.2 650.6 4.3 656.7 6.1 741.7 8.0 748.7
  3.7 73.1 4.1 310.5 4.6 329.5 5.1 1400.5 8.3 402.6 9.2 1711.0
  - 102.0 - 154.0 - 501.4 - 757.5 - 603.4 - 911.5
  - 58.6 - 122.0 - 1511.9 - 1067.0 - 570.4 - 118.9
Mean 3.3 79.5   157.7 3.4 469.9 5.0 884.2 6.7 549.3 9.8 1041.9
Mean                   498   1078.0

1.  Each group consists of 10 insects of each species placed in approximately 0.5 ml of water, males and females together. In the case of Quepos, 50 M. costarricensis were placed in all three groups.

2. The mayority of the grains were found under the wings.

3. The total pollen lossened from the body and recovered in the water was asigned to each insect in proportion to the quantity that remained adhered to the body.

4. Sum of the grains of pollen adhered the body plus the grain recovered from the water.