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

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Abstract

The trophic ecology of Kuhl’s pipistrellePipistrellus 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 coleopteranRhizotrogus 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 asP.kuhlii’s morphofunctional constraints relative to flight and echolocation could explain their underexploitation or rejection. Our results suggest thatP. kuhlii could be regarded as a ‘selective opportunist’ species.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology and Animal Cell Dynamics, University of the Basque Country, 644 PK, E-48080, Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain

    Urtzi Goiti, Patricia Vecin, Inazio Garin, Marta Saloña & Jose R. Aihartza

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  1. Urtzi Goiti
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  2. Patricia Vecin
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  3. Inazio Garin
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  4. Marta Saloña
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  5. Jose R. Aihartza
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Correspondence to Jose R. Aihartza.

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Associate Editor was Leszek Rychlik.

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Goiti, U., Vecin, P., Garin, I. et al. Diet and prey selection in Kuhl’s pipistrellePipistrellus kuhlii (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) in south-western Europe. Acta Theriol 48, 457–468 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03192492

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