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In Argentina, the study of feeding habits of bats was practically restricted to frugivorous species, whereas data on the insectivorous bat diet was scarce and anecdotal. Thus, the aim of this study was to analyze the diet of Tadarida brasiliensis along the Yungas Forest, Argentina, at sites with different degrees of disturbance. Through the analysis of feces, arthropod orders were identified, volume and frequency of occurrence were estimated for each food item, and the niche breadth was estimated for the species. Finally, the diet was compared between capture sites, sexes, and seasons; finding variations among sites and seasons. The diet of T. brasiliensis contains arthropods belonging to nine orders and one undetermined taxon. Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera, and Coleoptera represent the highest volume proportions in the diet. The results add new and important information about the biology of T. brasiliensis in the southern part of its distribution.

Abstract:The forests of northwestern Argentina represent one of the most diverse areas of the country, but also one of the most affected by human activities. The southern border of this region is a transition area with the Dry Chaco Ecoregion and represents a poorly studied zone. The aim of this study was to assess the diversity of bats at the village of Escaba, southern Tucuman. Seven field surveys were conducted at five different sites. A total of 120 specimens in three families and 14 species were recorded, 12 of them representing new records for the study area, increasing the species richness of Escaba from four to 16 species. The area will be recommended as an AICOM, a status given by the RELCOM, thereby promoting actions to preserve the species of bat in the area.