Le régime alimentaire du Guêpier d’Europe Merops apiaster dans les parc national de l’Ichkeul (Tunisie)

Abstract

Diet of the European Bee-eater Merops apiaster in the Ichkeul National Park (Tunisia). — The diet of the European Bee-eater was studied in April and May 1999 from a collection of 138 regurgitation pellets : 2862 preys were identified and alloted to 9 Arthropod orders. Globally, Hymenoptera insects were by far the most numerous with 66.1% of the preys. Diptera occupied the second position with 18.6%, followed by Coleoptera (10%), and the other orders were only marginally or exceptionally represented. Nevertheless, in April Coleoptera came second to the Hymenoptera, whereas it was by far the contrary in May. As a whole, during this two-month study the diet of the European Bee-eater in the Ichkeul Park was very broad and at the same time very specialized on Hymenoptera, although the proportion of Domestic Bees was relatively low in relation to other localities.