Feeding habits of Noctilio albiventris (Noctilionidae) bats in the Pantanal, Brazil

Abstract

The lesser bulldog bat, Noctilio albiventris, and the greater bulldog bat, N. leporinus (Noctilionidae) occur from Mexico to Argentina and Uruguay and are known to forage over water courses and ponds (Hood and Pitocchelli, 1983; Hood and Jones, 1984; Fenton et al., 1993; Kalko et al., 1998; Nogueira and Pol, 1998). Noctilio albiventris (20–40 g) feeds mainly on insects whereas N. leporinus (45–90 g) primarily eats fish, but both species are able to feed on insects and fish (Howell and Burch, 1974; Hood and Pitocchelli, 1983; Hood and Jones, 1984; Lewis-Oritt et al., 2001; Bordignon, 2006). Noctilio albiventris often captures insects in the air but notably gleans them from water surfaces (Kalko et al., 1998; Nogueira and Pol, 1998). Compared to other Neotropical insectivorous bats, N. albiventris prey upon a wider variety of insect orders and a wider range of prey size (Aguirre et al., 2003). Although most available data do not indicate herbivory for N. albiventris, seeds of Brosimum and Morus (Moraceae) and pollen of Ceiba (Bombacaceae) have been recorded in their faeces or stomachs (Howell and Burch, 1974). Data on N. albiventris feeding habits, however, are very scarce and limited to Central America and only Bolivia in South America (Hooper and Brown, 1968; Howell and Burch, 1974; Whitaker and Findley, 1980; Aguirre et al., 2003). Here, we studied food items recorded from faecal samples of N. albiventris in three sites in the Pantanal wetlands in Brazil. We describe orders of insects, and plant species (seeds and pollen) consumed by this bat.