First molecular evidence of an invasive agricultural pest, Drosophila suzukii, in the diet of a common bat, Pipistrellus pipistrellus, in Belgian orchards

Abstract

Bats are major consumers of arthropods, including many agricultural pest species, and can thus reduce and prevent crop damage. However, few, if any, data is available on the potential role of bats in pest control in central Europe. Evidence that bats prey upon locally important pest species would be an important first step to demonstrate their value to local farmers and facilitate conservation measures. In this pilot study, we used a DNA metabarcoding approach to investigate the diet composition of common pipistrelles and brown long-eared bats captured in orchards in Belgium. We show that the spotted wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii), one of the most harmful pest species in this region, was part of the diet of common pipistrelles. This pest species was recorded in one of the five samples from common pipistrelles. Our results indicate that bats can be valuable assets for biological pest suppression in West-European orchards, thus setting a path for future studies.