Higher flower number in Jatropha mutabilis (Euphorbiaceae) increases the frequency of floral visitors in the Caatinga dry forest

The spatial distribution of floral resources directly affects the foraging pattern of pollinators. In addition, plant–pollinator interactions are linked to a great diversity of visual, chemical, and morphological signals, which interfere with plant reproduction. Here, we aimed to understand how flower distribution of Jatropha mutabilis (Euphorbiaceae) affects the foraging behavior of its floral visitors. We hypothesized that an increase in the (i) number of flowering individuals, (ii) total number of open flowers, or (iii) floral display (number of open flowers/inflorescences) increases the number of floral visitors. The study was carried out in a Caatinga dry forest in Pernambuco, Brazil. The number of flowering individuals/plot, the total number of open flowers/plot, and the floral display/inflorescence/plot were counted in 37 plots. Those parameters were also analyzed separately for male and female flowers since the species is monoecious. We documented that the number of floral visits was positively correlated with the number of flowering individuals and the total number of open flowers/plot but did not correlate with floral display/inflorescence. We observed interactive effect of the number of open flowers/plot and floral display affecting visitors’ frequency, which was higher with both: increased number of open flowers/plot and lower floral display. Floral sex did not correlate with the analyzed parameters. Our findings show that plant-floral visitor interactions are sensitive to changes in the intraspecific number of open flowers/plot, independently of flower sex. High flower production scattered among individuals, as in Jatropha mutabilis, increases the chances of pollination and maintenance of plant species and floral visitors, which is especially important in seasonally dry tropical forests, such as the Caatinga dry forest.