Seasonal diet variation, preferences and availability of resources consumed by Sturnira lilium (É. Geoffroy St.-Hilaire, 1810) (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) in Brazilian seasonal deciduous forest.

Fábio A.F Jacomassa,Fernando De C Passos,Itiberê P Bernardi

doi:10.1590/0001-3765202120201571

Abstract

Sturnira lilium is a frugivorous bat that is known for its high consumption of Solanaceae fruits. We captured S. lilium, using mistnets, to study its diet and diet seasonal variation in a seasonal deciduous forest in southern Brazil. We also investigated the predominance of Solanaceae and of Solanum granulosoleprosum, the main food source, correlated with the availability of ripe fruits. A total of 11 plant species were identified from 126 fecal samples. Seeds of Solanaceae species were present in 81% of the samples, with S. granulosoleprosum seeds being the most common (68.3 %). There was no seasonal variation in the diet; however ANOVA revealed that the consumption of Solanaceae and S. granulosoleprosum showed monthly differences. There was no monthly correlation and there was a weak seasonal correlation between ripe fruit availability and the consumption of S. granulosoleprosum by S. lilium, indicating that this bat species occupies broad home ranges and is capable of locating plants with mature fruits in adjacent areas during most of the year. The mobility of S. lilium and high abundance of S. granulosoleprosum in the diet suggests that this species as good disperser of plants that are characteristic of early successional stages and areas undergoing regeneration.

Highlights

The high vagility of frugivorous bats, in addition to their high consumption of pioneer plant species place these mammals among the most important seed dispersers in Neotropics, especially for plants with small seeds (Fleming & Heithaus 1981, Fleming & Sosa 1994, Lobova et al 2009, Bredt et al 2012)
Sturnira lilium occurs in the Brazilian Shield portions of Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina, including areas of Atlantic Forest, Cerrado, and Chaco (Velazco & Patterson 2013, 2014)
We aimed to assess: (i) the dietary composition of S. lilium in seasonal deciduous forest fragments by analyzing fecal samples; (ii) whether seasonal variation exists in the diet of S. lilium; (iii) whether the diet of this species is mainly composed of plants from the family Solanaceae, as in other regions; and (iv) whether the consumption of Solanum granulosoleprosum, the most common food resource of S. lilium, is correlated with the availability of their ripe fruits

Summary

Introduction

The high vagility of frugivorous bats, in addition to their high consumption of pioneer plant species place these mammals among the most important seed dispersers in Neotropics, especially for plants with small seeds (Fleming & Heithaus 1981, Fleming & Sosa 1994, Lobova et al 2009, Bredt et al 2012). Sturnira lilium occurs in the Brazilian Shield portions of Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina, including areas of Atlantic Forest, Cerrado, and Chaco (Velazco & Patterson 2013, 2014) It is among the most widespread and locally abundant bats of the New World tropics (Velazco & Patterson 2013), and has a highly diverse diet composed predominantly of pioneer plants from the family Solanaceae (Fabián et al 2008, Bredt et al 2012, Parolin et al 2016). According to Fabián et al (2008) and Bredt et al (2012), plants in this family are the most commonly exploited food resources by bats in Latin America

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