DIET OF TWO NECTARIVOROUS BATS, EROPHYLLA SEZEKORNI AND MONOPHYLLUS REDMANI (PHYLLOSTOMIDAE), ON PUERTO RICO

Abstract

We examined the diet of 2 island-dwelling phyllostomids, the brown flower bat (Erophylla sezekorni) and the Greater Antillean long-tongued bat (Monophyllus redmani), by analyzing fecal contents and pollen swabs from >100 individuals of each species. Although both bats are putative nectar-feeders, their feeding niches were differentiated. A greater proportion of M. redmani (91%) consumed nectar compared with E. sezekorni (50%), but the reverse was true for fruits (22% versus 85%, respectively); about 75% of both species included insects in their diets. However, insect consumption in E. sezekorni was dominated by coleopterans, whereas in M. redmani, diet was more diverse and included soft-bodied prey, such as lepidopterans and dipterans. Both species consumed fruits of Panama berry (Mutingia calabura) and elder (Piper aduncum), but E. sezekorni also included turkey berry (Solanum torvum). When consuming nectar, E. sezekorni often fed at flowers of guava (Psidium guajava), whereas M. redmani visited flowers of guava, woman's tongue (Albizia lebbek), myrtle (Eugenia), and wild tamarind (Leucaena leucocephala). Interspecific differences in diet are consistent with published differences in craniodental and wing (flight) characteristics. The more diverse diet of M. redmani and its lesser reliance on fruit may allow it to survive stochastic events, such as hurricanes, and recover more quickly than populations of E. sezekorni.