Bats are the second most diverse mammal order and they provide vital ecosystem functions (e.g., pollination, seed dispersal, and nutrient flux in caves) and services (e.g., crop pest suppression). Bats are also important vectors of infectious diseases, harboring more than 100 different virus types. In the present study, we compiled information on bat communities from the Atlantic Forests of South America, a species-rich biome that is highly threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation. The ATLANTIC BATS data set comprises 135 quantitative studies carried out in 205 sites, which cover most vegetation types of the tropical and subtropical Atlantic Forest: dense ombrophilous forest, mixed ombrophilous forest, semideciduous forest, deciduous forest, savanna, steppe, and open ombrophilous forest. The data set includes information on more than 90,000 captures of 98 bat species of eight families. Species richness averaged 12.1 per site, with a median value of 10 species (ranging from 1 to 53 species). Six species occurred in more than 50% of the communities: Artibeus lituratus, Carollia perspicillata, Sturnira lilium, Artibeus fimbriatus, Glossophaga soricina, and Platyrrhinus lineatus. The number of captures divided by sampling effort, a proxy for abundance, varied from 0.000001 to 0.77 individuals·h ·m (0.04 ± 0.007 individuals·h ·m ). Our data set reveals a hyper-dominance of eight species that together that comprise 80% of all captures: Platyrrhinus lineatus (2.3%), Molossus molossus (2.8%), Artibeus obscurus (3.4%), Artibeus planirostris (5.2%), Artibeus fimbriatus (7%), Sturnira lilium (14.5%), Carollia perspicillata (15.6%), and Artibeus lituratus (29.2%).

Mesmo após a devastação de grande parte das suas matas, o Estado do Rio de Janeiro ainda abriga uma grande riqueza de mamíferos terrestres. Contudo, informações sobre abundância e distribuição da mastofauna do Estado ainda são escassas. Este estudo tem como objetivo inventariar os mamíferos do Parque Estadual do Desengano, localizado na região norte do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, uma das regiões menos amostradas e mais alteradas do Estado. O inventário foi realizado utilizando armadilhas do tipo Sherman e Tomahawk, e armadilhas de queda para os pequenos mamíferos não-voadores, redes de neblina para os morcegos, armadilhas fotográficas, avistamentos e relatos de moradores e funcionários do Parque para os mamíferos de maior porte. Nós registramos 56 espécies de mamíferos, das quais 15 constam na lista da fauna ameaçada de extinção do Estado do Rio de Janeiro e 10 na lista da fauna brasileira ameaçada de extinção, incluindo Brachyteles arachnoides. As espécies mais abundantes foram o morcego Sturnira lilium e o roedor Akodon serrensis. Além disso, Thaptomys nigrita, roedor normalmente pouco capturado no Estado, foi relativamente abundante no Parque Estadual do Desengano. Nossos resultados indicam que o Parque abriga 33,7% das espécies de mamíferos com ocorrência conhecida para o Estado, destacando a importância da área para a conservação da fauna do Rio de Janeiro.

Studies on bat richness and diversity in coastal sand dunes (‘restinga’) are still scarce. Therefore, the objectives of the present study were to estimate bat richness in the restinga of Praia das Neves (state of Espírito Santo, southeastern Brazil) and to analyze species abundance. Ten sampling nights were carried out in May and July 2008, resulting in a sampling effort of 21,847.5 h.m2. We captured 125 individuals from 17 bat species. In this study, Tonatia saurophila was recorded for the first time not only in the state of Espírito Santo but also in the restinga ecosystem. The most abundant species was Artibeus lituratus with 32% of all captures. Surveys in coastal restingas are urgently needed in order to obtain more information about the bats living in this environment.

In the present study, we investigated the prevalence and intensity of Hectopsylla pulex infection inEsbérard (2001) fleas from 29 bats and determined a prevalence of 8.14% with fleas attached preferably to the bats' heads. Parasite intensity sorted by host gender was 1.57 in males and 2.87 in females, with a maximum number of six fleas on males and nine on females. Despite the existence of 176 other chiropterans belonging to four other species (including Molossus rufus E. Geoffroy, 1805) found in the same roost, the presence of this parasite was only observed in M. molossus.Hosts that are vulnerable to parasitism are likely to be in a poor nutritional state. Alternatively, parasites may favour the exploitation of high-quality hosts, which would provide better single meals. Christe et al. (2003) demonstrated that parasite density was significantly higher on individual hosts in good nutritional condition when compared with poorly fed hosts.Thus, the objectives of the present study were to investigate the prevalence and intensity of H. pulex in M. rufus and M. molossus, to determine the parasite's choice of attachment site and to determine whether this hostparasite system varies with bat condition. MATERIALS AND METHODSSince 2007, efforts have been made to characterise the biota of Praia das Neves (Southeastern Brazil) to support the Management Plan of "Lagartixa da Praia" (Liolaemus lutzae Mertens, 1938), and a campaign was carried out to analyse the local bat fauna. Located on the shore of the Itabapoana river, at the boundary of the states of Espírito Santo and RJ, Praia das Neves, Presidente Kenedy municipality (21°05'56"S 41°02'48"W) still exhibits remnants of restinga (costal shrub land) and other typical vegetation of the Atlantic Forest ecoregion.A mixed colony of M. molossus and M. rufus was found in a ceiling cavity of approximately 6 m 2 in one of the houses in Praia das Neves. Bats of both species were roosting between the cistern and the wall, in a space that varies from 2-10 cm. Both bat species had constant contact. Hectopsylla pulex as a parasite of bats • Júlia Lins Luz et al. 568From an estimated total of 30 individuals on 10 May 2008, 24 bats were captured by hand. Ectoparasites were removed with forceps and fixed in 92.4% alcohol. Bats were measured, weighed, marked with plastic bead neckplastic bead necklaces with colored cylinders, and released at the same place. Bats were analysed to determine parasite prevalence, intensity (Margolis et al. 1982) and flea attachment site. Attachment sites were divided into nine categories: ear, tragus, shoulder blade, tibia, anus, wing, axilla, mouth and dactylopatagium. In order to calculate the mean intensity, non-infested individuals were not considered.A Pearson correlation was used to test whether the variation of the body size and the number of ectoparasites were correlated, considering both bat species. For this analysis, we considered all individuals, including the non-infested ones. Statistical tests were performed using Systat 8.0 software. RESULTS...

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