ANARTIA, 23 (2011): 27 - 32
Depósito legal pp. 88-0384
ISSN: 1315-642X
Some insect prey consumed
by Peropteryx kappleri Peters, 1867
(Chiroptera: Emballonuridae)
in Northern Venezuela
Franger J. García
1,2,3
, Marjorie Machado
1
, José Núñez
1
,
Mariana Delgado-Jaramillo
1,2
and Luis Aular
2
1
Departamento de Biología, Facultad Experimental de Ciencias y Tecnología
FACYT, Universidad de Carabobo, Valencia -Venezuela.
2
Grupo de Exploraciones Científicas Minas de Aroa (GECMA-Yaracuy).
3
Corresponding author: fjgarcia4@uc.edu.ve
Abstract
In Venezuela the bats of the genus Peropteryx have been poorly
studied. The data for the species that inhabit the country are limited
to information strictly on taxonomy and geographic distribution. As
a contribution to the knowledge of the natural history of Peropteryx
kappleri, we report data concerning its diet, obtained in a colony
formed by four specimens, in a fragmented evergreen forest ubiqui-
tous in the Sierra de Aroa, Yaracuy state, Venezuela. In 2007, four
daytime trips were conducted monthly (March, April, May and
June). For the analysis on the feeding habits, we collected the fecal
samples, using a 1 x 1.5 m polyethylene sheet located approximately
0.5 m above the ground. In the laboratory, the samples were proc-
essed and identified to order level, but in some case were identified
further to family level. The results show a high percentage of prey of
the class Hexapoda (six orders) in the fecal samples. Hymenoptera
and Coleoptera were the orders with the highest percentage of indi-
viduals and frequency of occurrence in the study. The remaining or-
ders recorded (Lepidoptera, Homoptera, Trichoptera and Diptera)
obtained the lowest percentages. The fragmented insects found in the
cave that were not consumed by the colony could indicate a high fi
-
delity to the refuge and a feeding behaviour not previously docu
-
mented in Peropteryx kappleri.
Key words: Diet, Peropteryx kappleri, Sierra de Aroa, Venezuela.
Algunos insectos presa consumidos por
Peropteryx kappleri Peters, 1867 (Chiroptera:
Emballonuridae) en el Norte de Venezuela
Resumen
En Venezuela los murciélagos del género Peropteryx han sido po-
bremente estudiados. Los datos documentados para las especies presen-
tes en nuestro país, están relacionados sólo con información taxonómi-
ca y geográfica. Como un aporte al conocimiento de la historia natural
de Peropteryx kappleri, se registran datos de la dieta obtenidos en una co-
lonia conformada por cuatro individuos, de un bosque siempreverde
fragmentado ubicado en la Sierra de Aroa, estado Yaracuy, Venezuela.
Las visitas fueron realizadas una vez al mes en horas diurnas por cuatro
meses (marzo, abril, mayo y junio) de 2007. Para el análisis de la dieta se
recolectaron muestras fecales, utilizando una lámina de polietileno de 1
x 1.50 m, colocado a una altura de 0.5m sobre el suelo. En el laboratorio
las muestras de restos de invertebrados en las heces fueron procesadas e
identificadas a nivel de orden y para algunos casos hasta nivel de fami
-
lia. Los resultados indican un alto porcentaje de individuos de la clase
Hexapoda (seis órdenes) en las muestras fecales. Hymenoptera y Co
-
leoptera resultaron ser los órdenes con los mayores porcentajes de indi
-
viduos y frecuencias de ocurrencia en todo el estudio. El resto de los ór
-
denes registrados (Lepidoptera, Homoptera, Trichoptera y Diptera) ob
-
tuvieron los porcentajes menores. El hallazgo en el refugio de fragmen
-
tos de insectos no consumidos por la colonia, durante el estudio, indica
-
ría una alta fidelidad al refugio y un comportamiento de alimentación
no documentado en Peropteryx kappleri.
Palabras clave: Dieta, Peropteryx kappleri, Sierra de Aroa, Venezuela.
García et al.
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ANARTIA, 23 (2011): 27 - 32
Peropteryx is a Neotropical genus of insectivorous bats and it is
represented by four species in Venezuela (Simmons, 2005). These
bats roost in shallow caves, rocky crevices, hollow trees, fallen logs,
and manmade structures (Dunlop, 1998). To date, data on natural
history for Peropteryx are scarce (e.g., Bradbury & Vehrencamp, 1976;
Dunlop, 1998) and research topics studied in Venezuela are restricted
to taxonomy and geographic information (e.g., Handley, 1976).
During a study of bat communities in Northern Venezuela, we
found one diurnal roost used by Peropteryx kappleri in the Sierra de
Aroa, Yaracuy State. The colony consisted of an adult couple with
two young, living together. Our study provides some additional data
on diet and thus contributes to ecological information of the family
Emballonuridae.
The roost (10° 26’N; 68° 51’W) was located at a rocky crevice in
a disturbed riparian forest near small farms and pastures by the river
“Cumaraguita”, sector Papelón, Sierra de Aroa, Yaracuy State. This
sierra has a surface of 114.103 ha. (Bevilacqua et al., 2006) and an al-
titudinal range between 100–1920m. The average annual precipita-
tion is between 800-1500 mm and the range of annual temperature is
between 10–26.5°C (Alvarado, 2008).
We carried out four visits to the roost: two in the dry season
(March and April, 2007) and two in the wet season (May and June,
2007). We fully extended a piece of polyethylene plastic below the
roost, ca. 0.5m above the ground over the surface where shed feces of
the bats could be caught. This procedure was implemented to both
quantify the faecal material and avoid samples being removed by ar
-
thropods and vertebrates.
Samples were collected once a month during diurnal hours,
with bats present, and during each month, observations to verify sus
-
pected absence of other bat species were carried out, to verify that P.
kappleri individuals were not living with other species as previously
reported (Yee, 2000). In the laboratory, samples were dried and di
-
luted in Petri dishes with ethanol 70%. Insect prey remains found
(e.g., heads, antennae, legs, scales) were separated into vials using a
stereo microscope. We counted individuals on the basis of insect re
-
mains following procedures from Lasso and Jarrin (2005). Identifica
-
tions were made at the order level and in some cases at the family
level, using entomological keys in Borror and White (1987).
Prey consumed by Peropteryx kappleri 29
Despite some insect prey remains in our samples being suffi
-
cientlydigested making identifications difficult; wewere able to iden
-
tify 45 individuals of the class Hexapoda (Table 1). Six orders with
temporal variation of occurrence in months were recorded. Hymen
-
optera and Coleoptera had the highest percentage of individuals and
were present all four months. Species of Lepidoptera were found in
both dry and wet months. The greatest diversity of prey items oc
-
curred in March (dry season).
Yee (2000) reported small beetles and flies for P. macrotis. This
bat is sympatric with P. kappleri in our study area and their body
masses and roosts are similar (Linares, 1998). Although, we docu
-
mented preferences of P. kappleri to consume vespid wasps (48.9%), it
was also evident of its high consumption of small beetles of the fami
-
lies Chrysomelidae (24.4%) and Scarabeidae (8.9%). Likewise, we
García et al.
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ANARTIA, 23 (2011): 27 - 32
Table 1. Orders and families of the class Hexapoda recorded in fecal sam
-
ples of Peropteryx kappleri individuals from river “Cumaraguita”, sector Pa
-
pelón, Sierra de Aroa, Yaracuy-State, Venezuela. Percent contributions of
each family or order in the diet throughout the entire survey are reported.
Individuals are recorded for each month of the survey.
Order % March April May June
Hymenoptera
Vespidae 48.9 10 7 2 3
Coleoptera
Chrysomelidae 24.4 6 4 1
Scarabeidae 8.9 1 2 2
Carabidae 2.2 1
Curculionidae 2.2 1
Dermestidae 2.2 1
Homoptera
Cicadellidae 2.2 1
Lepidoptera 4.4 1 1
Trichoptera 2.2 1
Diptera 2.2 1
recorded a dipteran prey item in June, coinciding with data for P.
macrotis reported by Yee (2000).
Bradbury and Vehrencamp (1976) stated that P. kappleri would
be more specialized to feed on a particular prey type, and for this rea
-
son they hypothesized that insect prey consumed by P. kappleri might
be restricted to a limited number of taxa. Our study does not support
this hypothesis and we found that P. kappleri successfully feeds on a
variety of taxa, though long-term studies that include greater sam
-
pling and duration of insect fauna in feeding areas are important to
fully estimate the availability of prey resources which may be pre
-
ferred or avoided by P. kappleri.
It is interesting to note the documentation in all sampled
months of intact abdomen and wings fragments of Vespidae and
elytra of Scarabeidae on the polyethylene plastic, together with fae-
cal pellets in which we also documented antenna, head, and leg re-
mains of these families. Such evidence makes us to presume that P.
kappleri individuals may consume some prey directly at the roost,
possibly those prey items whose hard exoskeletons would be
avoided for consumption during flight, adopting a foraging behav-
ior documented in insectivorous gleaning bats (e.g., Kalka & Kalko,
2006; Lasso & Jarrin, 2005).
There is a possibility that during the time that P. kappleri indi-
viduals were foraging (20–40 minutes reported by Bradbury & Ve-
hrencamp in 1976 for Costa Rica), the roost may have been used
by other insectivorous gleaning bats. It has been demonstrated in
studies with bats of the subfamily Phyllostominae (e.g., Kalko et
al., 1999) that some of their representatives (e.g., Lophostoma silvi
-
colum) use a variety of roosts at night to feed. However, there are
exceptions (e.g., Micronycteris microtis and M. megalotis) that main
-
tain a high fidelity in their nightly roosts (Kalka & Kalko, 2006;
Lasso & Jarrin, 2005) and the presence of Scarabaeidae and Vespi
-
dae fragments in P. kappleri pellets found on the polyethylene plas
-
tic, along with the high fidelity at nightly roosts for insectivorous
gleaning bats with similar body masses (Kalka & Kalko, 2006,
Lasso & Jarrin, 2005), would indicate an unusual foraging behav
-
ior not yet recorded in P. kappleri.
Prey consumed by Peropteryx kappleri 31
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Authorswish to thank the Departamento de Biología, Universi
-
dad de Carabobo and especially Héctor Silva and Antonio Pérez for
fieldwork support. Two reviewers improved the manuscript with
valuable comments and suggestions, as well as English editing.
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