June 2003 bats were sampled with mist-nets set in four 1 ha plots representing different degrees of isolation of riparian and lowland forest. A total of 752 individuals of 14 species of Phyllostomidae (n = 10) and Vespertilionidae (n = 4), were captured. Considering the limitations of mist-net sampling, the study area was satisfactorily inventoried based on the ICE estimator. Nevertheless, if compared with similar studies conducted in other Semideciduous Seasonal Forest remnants, the obtained richness is less expressive, suggesting that local extinctions have taken place. Artibeus lituratus (Olfers, 1818) and Carollia perspicillata (Linnaeus, 1758) were dominant in the three studied forest fragments, followed by other three frugivores: A. fimbriatus Gray, 1838, A. jamaicensis Leach, 1821 and Sturnira lilium (E. Geoffroy, 1810). The Shannon's index showed subtle differences among the four studied plots and the Sorensen's index presented high similarities among most of them. However, the grouping analysis revealed higher similarities only between plots representing the same type of vegetation and exhibited two separate groups, one represented by riparian forests and the other by lowland forests, which could be related to particularities in habitat use by bat species. This study also indicated that the forest remnants sampled, in spite of being small, shelter a significant number of bat species and, for that reason, are important for biological conservation. KEY WORDS. Bat conservation, forest fragmentation, habitat use, Phyllostomidae, Semideciduous Seasonal Forest. RESUMO. A riqueza de espécies e a abundância relativa de morcegos foram avaliadas em três fragmentos de Floresta Estacional Semidecidual localizados no município de Fênix, noroeste do Estado do Paraná, sul do Brasil. Entre julho de 2002 e junho de 2003 os morcegos foram amostrados com redes-de-neblina instaladas em quatro parcelas de 1 ha cada, representando diferentes graus de isolamento das subformações florestais: aluvial e submontana. Foram capturados 752 exemplares pertencentes a 14 espécies de duas famílias, Phyllostomidae (n = 10) e Vespertilionidae (n = 4). No que se refere a capturas com redes a área foi considerada bem inventariada (estimador ICE). Entretanto, se comparada a estudos similares em Floresta Estacional, a riqueza de espécies foi pouco expressiva, havendo a suspeita que tenham ocorrido perdas de espécies em níveis locais. Artibeus lituratus (Olfers, 1818) e Carollia perspicillata (Linnaeus, 1758) foram numericamente dominantes nos três remanescentes amostrados, seguidas por outros três frugívoros: A. fimbriatus Gray, 1838, A. jamaicensis Leach, 1821 e Sturnira lilium (E. Geoffroy, 1810). O índice de Shannon demonstrou diferenças sutis entre as parcelas amostrais e o índice de Sorensen apresentou alta similaridade entre a maioria delas. Já a análise de agrupamento revelou uma maior afinidade entre parcelas da mesma subformação, exibindo dois grupamentos distintos, um representado pela subformação aluvial e outro pela submontana, ...

We used mark and recapture techniques to evaluate movements of bats within and between three brazilian forest remnants. We captured bats with mist-nets in four 1 ha plots representing different degrees of isolation of riparian (two plots) and submontane (two plots) forests between July 2002 and June 2003. Using numbered aluminium tags, we marked 635 bats of seven species and 54 individuals of six species were recaptured. Overall, we recaptured Carollia perspicillata (Linnaeus, 1758) (short-tailed fruit bat) most frequently, especially in plots where they were banded in the riparian forest plots. These results suggest that this bat has restricted feeding areas, which are probably determined by the abundance of Piper Linnaeus (Piperaceae), its preferred food item. In contrast, species of the genus Artibeus Leach, 1821 exhibited few recaptures, suggesting high mobility and larger feeding areas. In fact Artibeus seems to use more of the forest remnants in their search for food, especially Ficus Linnaeus (Moraceae), the preferred food of this bat. Our results suggest that even small forest isolates are valuable for the maintenance of some bat species because they offer many of the resources they need or because they are spatially distributed in a pattern that allows use of the entire landscape.

Previous tests with essential oils from ripe chiropterochoric fruits suggested they can be used to attract and capture fruit-eating bats inside forest remnants. Here we evaluated the efficiency of these oils to attract frugivorous bats to open areas. We performed field tests with artificial fruits impregnated with essential oils of the genera Piper or Ficus that were attached to two groups of mist-nets set 50 m outside the border of a forest remnant. One group of artificial fruits received the corresponding oil isolated through hydrodistillation and the other received water only. Fruits with oils attracted significantly more fruit-eating bats, especially Artibeus lituratus that regularly crosses open habitats to reach other forest remnants. The highly significant attraction of A. lituratus by the oil of Piper was unexpected, since this bat is a specialist on Ficus fruits. We hypothesize that in habitats with no fruit available it is possible to attract frugivorous bats with the odor of several ripe fruit species. Furthermore, we verified that almost half of the individuals captured defecated seeds, indicating that the oils also attract recently fed bats, even when their preferred food is available nearby. This technique potentially may increase seed rain at specific locations, being particularly promising to restoration projects. RESUMO Estudos anteriores realizados comóleoscom´comóleos essenciais extraídos de frutos quiropterocóricos maduros sugerem que estes podem ser utilizados para atrair e capturar morcegos frugívoros no interior de remanescentes florestais. No presente trabalho nós avaliamos a eficiência destesóleosdestes´destesóleos na atração de morcegos frugívoros pará areas abertas por meio de testes com dois grupos de redes-de-neblina instaladas a 50 m de distância de um fragmento florestal. Todas as redes receberam um fruto artificial (gêneros Piper ou Ficus) em sua porção mediana, mas apenas um dos grupos recebeu o ´ oleo correspondente isolado por hidrodestilação; o outro recebeu somenté agua destilada. Os frutos comóleocom´comóleo atraíram significativamente mais morcegos frugívoros, especialmente Artibeus lituratus. A atração altamente significativa desta espécie peló oleo de Piper foi inesperada, considerando que este morcegó e especialista em frutos de Ficus. Conseqüentemente, nós sugerimos que em hábitats com nenhum fruto disponíveí e possível atrair morcegos frugívoros com o odor de diversas espécies de frutos maduros. Além disso, quase a metade dos morcegos capturados defecou sementes, indicando que osóleosos´osóleos também atraem indivíduos que se alimentaram recentemente, até mesmo quando seu alimento preferencial encontra-se disponível nas proximidades. Esta técnica tem o potencial de incrementar a chuva de sementes em locais específicos, sendo particularmente promissora para projetos de restauração florestal.

Frugivorous bats can be attracted with essential oils from ripe chiropterochoric fruit. We evaluated the efficiency of these oils to attract bats in degraded areas within the Atlantic Rain Forest, particularly pasture and agricultural land. We hypothesized that induction units (IUs), each containing a rubber septum impregnated with oil, would have more bat activity than their respective control units (CUs; without the oil). To test this hypothesis we monitored bat flight activity with night-vision infrared visors in eight IU and CU from August 2006 to July 2007. We also verified the probability of arrival of chiropterochoric seeds by analyzing the diet of bats captured in a neighboring forest area. Our initial hypothesis that units with odor would lead to greater bat activity was confirmed. Results indicated a rich community of fruit-eating bats, and dietary analysis revealed a huge potential for dispersion of a vast amount of seeds from different plant species at the IU. Although our study does not reveal with certainty which bat species are attracted to the oil, the flying patterns coincide with those described for the foraging behavior of fruit-eating phyllostomids. Furthermore, the fact that the bats spend more time flying around the odor source compared to flying time around CU suggest an increase in seed rain. Taken together, these results suggest that the use of essential oils from chiropterochoric fruits induces a qualitative and quantitative increase in seed dispersal in areas that otherwise would not be frequently visited by frugivorous bats.

Informações sobre estreblídeos e nicteribiídeos e seus hospedeiros são escassas na Floresta com Araucária (FA), não havendo dados sobre a riqueza, o padrão de distribuição e a abundância desses ectoparasitos sobre uma determinada comunidade de morcegos. O presente estudo foi desenvolvido em fragmentos de FA (aproximadamente 470 ha) localizados no município de Fazenda Rio Grande, Paraná, no período de dezembro de 2001 a maio de 2003. Foram registrados 12 indivíduos pertencentes a três espécies de Nycteribiidae e 119 de seis espécies de Streblidae sobre 127 hospedeiros examinados (quatro espécies de Phyllostomidae e sete de Vespertilionidae). Cinco das seis espécies de estreblídeos foram encontradas apenas sobre Sturnira lilium (E. Geoffroy, 1810) e Artibeus lituratus (Olfers, 1818). Em 62 indivíduos de S. lilium foram coletadas: Megistopoda proxima (Séguy, 1926) com prevalência de 65,4% e intensidade média de infestação de 2,00; Aspidoptera falcata Wenzel, 1976 com 13,5% e 2,29; Trichobius phyllostomae Kessel, 1925 com 7,7% e 1,00; e Metelasmus wenzeli Graciolli & Dick, 2004 com 1,6% e 4,00. Não foi encontrada diferença na prevalência (p = 0,544) e na intensidade média (p = 0,361) em relação ao sexo de S. lilium. Em 26 A. lituratus, foi encontrada apenas Paratrichobius longicrus (Miranda-Ribeiro, 1907) com prevalência de 32% e intensidade média de 1,50.