Pest suppression services and dietary niche differentiation of bats in Chinese smallholder farming systems: implications for integrated pest management

Liu, Yingying; Geng, Yang; Huang, Zhenglanyi; Feng, Jiang; Jiang, Tinglei

doi:10.1007/s10340-023-01721-6

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 84 publications

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“…The forearm length was measured using an electronic Vernier caliper (111–101V-10G, Guanglu Ltd., Shenzhen, China), and an electronic balance (BSA4202S, Sartorius Ltd., Shandong, China) was used to measure the body mass. The forearm length of each individual was measured thrice, and the mean value was used in the analyses [ 44 ]. Using the data on forearm length and body mass, the forearm mass index (FMI) was calculated [ 45 ].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Consumption and Diversity Variation Responses of Agricultural Pests and Their Dietary Niche Differentiation in Insectivorous Bats

Zhu,

Liu,

Gong

et al. 2024

Animals

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Insectivorous bats are generalist predators and can flexibly respond to fluctuations in the distribution and abundance of insect prey. To better understand the effects of bats on arthropod pests, the types of pests eaten by bats and the response of bats to insect prey need to be determined. In this study, we performed DNA metabarcoding to examine prey composition and pest diversity in the diets of four insectivorous species of bats (Hipposideros armiger, Taphozous melanopogon, Aselliscus stoliczkanus, and Miniopterus fuliginosus). We evaluated the correlation between bat activity and insect resources and assessed dietary niche similarity and niche breadth among species and factors that influence prey consumption in bats. We found that the diets of these bats included arthropods from 23 orders and 200 families, dominated by Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, and Diptera. The proportion of agricultural pests in the diet of each of the four species of bats exceeded 40% and comprised 713 agricultural pests, including those that caused severe economic losses. Bats responded to the availability of insects. For example, a higher abundance of insects, especially Lepidoptera, and a higher insect diversity led to an increase in the duration of bat activity. In areas with more abundant insects, the number of bat passes also increased. The dietary composition, diversity, and niches differed among species and were particularly significant between H. armiger and T. melanopogon; the dietary niche width was the greatest in A. stoliczkanus and the narrowest in H. armiger. The diet of bats was correlated with their morphological and echolocation traits. Larger bats preyed more on insects in the order Coleoptera, whereas the proportion of bats consuming insects in the order Lepidoptera increased as the body size decreased. Bats that emitted echolocation calls with a high peak frequency and duration preyed more on insects in the order Mantodea. Our results suggest that dietary niche differentiation promotes the coexistence of different bat species and increases the ability of bats to consume insect prey and agricultural pests. Our findings provide greater insights into the role of bats that prey on agricultural pests and highlight the importance of combining bat conservation with integrated pest management.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Consumption and Diversity Variation Responses of Agricultural Pests and Their Dietary Niche Differentiation in Insectivorous Bats

Zhu,

Liu,

Gong

et al. 2024

Animals

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Trait responses, nonconsumptive effects, and the physiological basis of Helicoverpa armigera to bat predation risk

Liu,

Geng,

et al. 2024

Commun Biol

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Predation reduces the population density of prey, affecting its fitness and population dynamics. Few studies have connected trait changes with fitness consequences in prey and the molecular basis and metabolic mechanisms of such changes in bat-insect systems. This study focuses on the responses of Helicoverpa armigera to different predation risks, focusing on echolocating bats and their calls. Substantial modifications were observed in the nocturnal and diurnal activities of H. armigera under predation risk, with enhanced evasion behaviors. Accelerated development and decreased fitness were observed under predation risks. Transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses indicated that exposure to bats induced the upregulation of amino acid metabolism- and antioxidant pathway-related genes, reflecting shifts in resource utilization in response to oxidative stress. Exposure to bat predation risks enhanced the activity of DNA damage repair pathways and suppressed energy metabolism, contributing to the observed trait changes and fitness decreases. The current results underscore the complex adaptive strategies that prey species evolve in response to predation risk, enhancing our understanding of the predator–prey dynamic and offering valuable insights for innovative and ecologically informed pest management strategies.

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Diet and trophic niche partitioning of three aerial hawking bat species in the Venezuelan Llanos

Azofeifa Romero,

Nassar,

Mavárez

2024

Preprint

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Since Neotropical insectivorous bats (IB) often share feeding sites and prey, their coexistence likely depends on processes promoting divergence at trophic niche dimensions. Here we conducted DNA metabarcoding analyses of diets and activity times of three coexisting aerial hawking IB species, Molossus molossus, Eptesicus furinalis, and Myotis nigricans, from rice fields in the Venezuelan Llanos, aiming to understand their patterns of trophic niche partitioning. Insect prey were identified using DNA sequences obtained from bat fecal samples and then compared against GenBank and a local sequence database. Additionally, we recorded bat vocalizations over rice fields simultaneously with the bat captures. We compared diversity, composition, and breadth of the three IB diets, and employed statistical models to understand: (1) the dietary and activity time overlap among IB species, and (2) the effect of IB species' morphology and hunting strategies over prey's hardness and flight speed. We found high prey richness for M. molossus (32 families), M. nigricans (19 families), and E. furinalis (13 families). Bats exhibited differences in prey richness, proportions, types consumed, and in their activity periods. For instance, as expected from its larger size and fast flight, we found that M. molossus prefers larger, fast-flying, and medium-to-high sclerotized preys such as Coleoptera and Lepidoptera, with hunting activities starting and peaking significantly earlier than in the other two bat species. On the other hand, also agreeing with its size and flight type, M. nigricans exhibits a significant preference for small, slow-flying, and weekly sclerotized preys such as Diptera, although with relatively high dietary and temporal overlaps with E. furinalis. Thus, in concordance with niche theory predictions, the coexistence between these bats, particularly between M. molossus and the other two species, seems enhanced by reduced competition driven by divergence at trophic niche dimensions

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Pest suppression services and dietary niche differentiation of bats in Chinese smallholder farming systems: implications for integrated pest management

Cited by 3 publications

References 84 publications

The Consumption and Diversity Variation Responses of Agricultural Pests and Their Dietary Niche Differentiation in Insectivorous Bats

The Consumption and Diversity Variation Responses of Agricultural Pests and Their Dietary Niche Differentiation in Insectivorous Bats

Trait responses, nonconsumptive effects, and the physiological basis of Helicoverpa armigera to bat predation risk

Diet and trophic niche partitioning of three aerial hawking bat species in the Venezuelan Llanos

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