Diet of the Myotis sodalis (Indiana Bat) at an Urban/Rural Interface

Abstract

We conducted a study of the diet of the federally endangered Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) at an urban/rural interface near Indianapolis International Airport in summer 2004. We used two 1-m2 quadrats covered with window screening to collect guano under a known roost tree. We then examined 20 fecal pellets/week until the bats abandoned the roost (i.e., 13 weeks). The most common orders of insects eaten were: Lepidoptera (35.3% volume, 84.6% frequency), Diptera (27.9%, 73.2%), Coleoptera (16.9%, 62.9%), and Hymenoptera (10.9%, 45.9%). Components of the diet at the ordinal level varied significantly over time. Despite the developed nature of the site, the diet consisted of the same components reported in earlier studies.