Abstract

Diet is an important factor in understanding bat ecology and conservation. This study assessed seasonal prey availability and diet composition of the Asiatic Lesser Yellow House Bat Scotophilus kuhlii in various districts of Uttar Pradesh between January 2016 to December 2018. Fecal and insect samples were collected seasonally using sweep nets between 1800 and 1900 h. From each location 20 fecal pellets were selected for analysis and searched for taxonomically recognizable remnants. The analysis revealed that S. kuhlii fed on Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera, Isoptera, Orthoptera, Odonata, Blattodae, Lepidoptera, and Hemiptera, identified from legs, antennae and wings/elytra in fecal pellets. Seasonal variation in the presence of isolated insect remnants and insect abundance at foraging grounds was observed. Thus S. kuhlii is a voracious feeder and plays an important role as a pest control agent.

Highlights

  • Foraging behavior has a vital role in evolutionary biology and ecology, with major contributions to survival, growth and reproductive success (Kramer 2001)

  • Seasonal food preference by S. kuhlii A total of 11 families of insects were identified corresponding to nine insect orders based on the leg, antenna, and wing or elytral fragments (Table 1)

  • Insect orders consumed by S. kuhlii The percentage frequency of identified remnants of prey items consumed by S. kuhlii during summer, showed that Order Coleoptera (39%), Diptera (25%), and Lepidoptera (23%) formed basic food, followed by Orthoptera (19%), Isoptera (14%), Hemiptera (11%), Hymenoptera (11%), Odonata (5.8%), and Blattodea (7.8%) forming the constant food of total frequency in the sample, while no chance food items were encountered in the fecal pellets in summer (Figure 2)

Read more

Summary

Introduction

Foraging behavior has a vital role in evolutionary biology and ecology, with major contributions to survival, growth and reproductive success (Kramer 2001). Bats are nocturnal animals with many endangered and declining species throughout the world (Voigt et al 2016). They are important components of ecosystems, acting as predators and seed dispersing agents (Kalka & Kalko 2006; Tang et al 2008). Insectivorous bats are usually classified according to their foraging strategy as aerial hawkers, or as foliage gleaners such as Myotis nattereri. Several kinds of nocturnal insects, such as moths, mantids, lacewings, orthopterans, and beetles, have evolved tympanic organs that are sensitive to bat echolocation calls (Fenton et al 1998)

Objectives
Methods
Results
Discussion
Conclusion

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.