The diet of <i>Pipistrellus pipistrellus</i> during the pre‐hibernal period

Hoare, Lottie

doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1991.tb04334.x

Cited by 16 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…Dietary studies carried out on P. pipistrellus showed that its main prey were Chironomidae (Swift et al 1985, Sullivan et al 1993, Cecidomyiidae (Hoare 1991), or Diptera in general (Beck 1995). Yet these studies were carried out before the taxon was found to consist of two sibling species, ie P. pipistrellus and P. pygmaeus (Jones and Barrat 1999).…”

Section: Prey Selectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Such allocation between the sibling species was argued as part of the speciation process (Barlow 1997). Moreover, two studies suggested that P. pipistrellus foraged opportunistically (Swift et al 1985, Hoare 1991. Therefore, a difference in foraging behaviour between the three pipistrelles seems to happen, since different prey were consumed regarding frequency and size, and, at least P. pipistrellus and P. kuhlii, performed different foraging strategies.…”

Section: Prey Selectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, very few studies have dealt with prey selection. Among them, some have reported opportunistic feeding in different bat species, such as Myotis daubentonii (Swift and Racey 1983), Pipistrellus pipistrellus (Swift et al 1985, Hoare 1991, and M. myotis and M. blythii (Arlettaz 1996). Nonetheless, some other species appear to select their prey, as in the cases of M. lucifugus (Anthony and Kunz 1977), Rhinolophus ferrumequinum (Jones 1990), Plecotus townsendii (Sample and Whitmore 1993) and M. grisescens (Lacki et al 1995, Best et al 1997.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nonetheless, some other species appear to select their prey, as in the cases of M. lucifugus (Anthony and Kunz 1977), Rhinolophus ferrumequinum (Jones 1990), Plecotus townsendii (Sample and Whitmore 1993) and M. grisescens (Lacki et al 1995, Best et al 1997. Swift et al (1985), Hoare (1991), and Altringham (1996) stated that a short or even inexistent prey handling time would allow bats to handle and search for prey simultaneously, hence favouring opportunistic feeding. In contrast, large species would forage selectively, since as they fly faster their potential prey encounter rate is also higher.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Diet and prey selection in Kuhl’s pipistrellePipistrellus kuhlii (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) in south-western Europe

et al. 2003

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Goiti U., Vecin P., Garin I., Saloña M. and Aihartza J. R. 2003. Diet and prey selection in Kuhl's pipistrelle Pipistrellus kuhlii (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) in south-western Europe. Acta Theriologica 48: 457-468.The trophic ecology of Kuhl's pipistrelle Pipistrellus kuhlii (Kuhl, 1817) was investigated monthly from May to October 1999. Nine insect and two arachnid orders were identified in faeces and classified in 24 different categories. The most frequently occurring prey categories were Culicidae, Lepidoptera, Chironomidae/Ceratopogonidae, Hymenoptera, unidentified Brachycera, Tipulidae and unidentified Coleoptera in decreasing order. Other categories exhibited seasonal importance, such as the coleopteran Rhizotrogus sp. Prey availability was evaluated monthly using Malaise traps in known feeding areas. Bats preyed selectively through a temporarily changing pattern. Some taxa constituted an important part of the diet and were positively selected either monthly or in most of the months. Many of them were the largest prey featuring in the diet and changes of their relative profitability across time would determine their selection index. The small size of some prey categories as well as P.kuhlii's morphofunctional constraints relative to flight and echolocation could explain their underexploitation or rejection. Our results suggest that P. kuhlii could be regarded as a 'selective opportunist' species.

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Section: Prey Selectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Prey Selectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Diet and prey selection in Kuhl’s pipistrellePipistrellus kuhlii (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) in south-western Europe

et al. 2003

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“…Both pipistrelle species occur in the Czech Republic including our study area in SE Moravia (Gaisler et al 2002), where they often exploit the same foraging sites. Earlier studies concern the prey of P. pipistrellus sensu lato and not that of P. pygmaeus (Swift et al 1985;Hoare 1991;Beck 1995). Barlow et al (1999) attributed dissimilarity in prey composition to differences in skull parameters between P. pipistrellus sensu stricto and P. pygmaeus (Barlow et al 1999).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diet composition and foraging activity of Pipistrellus pygmaeus in a floodplain forest

2008

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In 2000-2002 bat droppings were collected under the emerging crevice of a nursery colony of Pipistrellus pygmaeus. The locality was situated in a floodplain forest at the confluence of the Dyje and Morava rivers (S Moravia, Czech Republic). In total, 27 samples (20 pellets in one sample) of droppings were used to analyze prey remains. In the diet, 40 taxonomic groups of invertebrates were found. As expected, small dipteran insects were the main food item in which Nematocera dominated. Besides Chironomidae and Ceratopogonidae also a high percentage of nematoceran eggs were recorded. Surprisingly, a relatively high percentage of Brachycera was recorded. Further frequent prey items belonged to the orders of Trichoptera, Hymenoptera, Coleoptera and Sternorrhyncha. A heterodyne bat detector was used to follow foraging activity of P. pygmaeus on line transects in forest and water habitats in the vicinity of the colony. A significant decrease in foraging activity over water habitats and in forest sites during the late pregnancy (mid-May -early June) and an increase during the lactation and post-lactation periods (mid-June -early August) were found. Changes in the frequency of occurrence of Chironomidae, Neuroptera, Trichoptera, Aphidinea and Simuliidae were correlated with the bats' foraging activity.

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Bats actively prey on mosquitoes and other deleterious insects in rice paddies: Potential impact on human health and agriculture

Puig-Montserrat

Flaquer

Gómez-Aguilera³

et al. 2020

Pest Management Science

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BACKGROUND: The fact that bats suppress agricultural pests has been measured for some particular dyads of predator and prey species in both economic and food security terms. The recent emergence of new molecular techniques allows for more precise screenings of bat's diet than the traditional visual identification systems and provides further evidence that bats consume an ample array of agricultural pest species. The main focus of the regulatory services that bats provide in agroecosystems has been on crop pests that cause yield losses. Rice paddies constitute a particular agronomic system with specific challenges, not only related to crop productivity but also to human health. Dipteran density in such ecosystems poses a serious threat to human wellbeing and hinders crop production. Mosquitoes cause direct harm to human populations, transmitting a number of infectious diseases. Non-biting midges (Chironomidae) can consume and weaken rice seedlings and can cause major yield losses. RESULTS: Mosquito populations and bat activity were assessed in rice paddies of Montgrí, Medes i Baix Ter Natural Park (NE Iberian Peninsula). Molecular analyses of bats faeces (6-weekly samples of 15 faeces each between mid-August and September) proved the presence of both mosquitoes and nonbiting midges in all diet samples. Furthermore, bat activity at the sampling locations was related to adult mosquito density. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that bats actively exploit the emergence of adult mosquitoes and further prove that they prey on mosquitoes, nonbiting midges and other deleterious insects. Promoting the presence of bats next to human settlements in such agroecosystems may constitute a biological control system with direct impact on both human health and crop yield.

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The diet of Pipistrellus pipistrellus during the pre‐hibernal period

Cited by 16 publications

References 10 publications

Diet and prey selection in Kuhl’s pipistrellePipistrellus kuhlii (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) in south-western Europe

Diet and prey selection in Kuhl’s pipistrellePipistrellus kuhlii (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) in south-western Europe

Diet composition and foraging activity of Pipistrellus pygmaeus in a floodplain forest

Bats actively prey on mosquitoes and other deleterious insects in rice paddies: Potential impact on human health and agriculture

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