Important agricultural and cotton pests detected in the diet of two threatened insectivorous bats in a cotton agroecosystem: insights from a molecular study

Title
Important agricultural and cotton pests detected in the diet of two threatened insectivorous bats in a cotton agroecosystem: insights from a molecular study
Publication Date
2022
Author(s)
Kolkert, Heidi
Andrew, Rose
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0099-8336
Email: randre20@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:randre20
Smith, Rhiannon
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6375-5684
Email: rsmith66@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:rsmith66
Rader, Romina
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9056-9118
Email: rrader@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:rrader
Reid, Nicholas
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4377-9734
Email: nrei3@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:nrei3
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Spanish Association of Bat Research and Conservation
Place of publication
Spain
DOI
10.14709/BarbJ.15.1.2022.07
UNE publication id
une:1959.11/55098
Abstract

Australian insectivorous bats are known to occupy and use resources in agroecosystems, yet little is known about their diets. We analysed a scat sample each from two individual bats, both threatened species (Chalinolobus picatus and Vespadelus baverstocki), in a major dryland cotton production zone. Both bats consumed economically important agricultural and cotton pests such as Helicoverpa sp. (bollworm). Our results suggest that these two bat species share around half of the insect prey resources available whilst consuming a wide range of prey items. This snapshot of dietary data provides further evidence that insectivorous bats consume a wide range of insect prey, including pests in cropping areas.

Link
Citation
Journal of Bat Research and Conservation, 15(1), p. 57-61
Start page
57
End page
61

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