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Biomass and biodiversity of nocturnal aerial insects in an Adelaide City park and implications for bats (Microchiroptera)

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Abstract

Temporal variation of insect communities in urban environments is poorly known and mechanisms driving these changes are unclear, as are the implications for insectivorous predators. We examined the relationships between season and nocturnal aerial insect biomass and biodiversity, and between temperature and insect biomass in the Adelaide zoological gardens from December 2005 to September 2006. We also compared the effectiveness of two insect trap types and used a bat detector to assess bat activity in relation to insect biomass. During the study, 9,939 insects from 13 orders were collected at the Adelaide zoo with a Malaise trap and a light trap. Mass and diversity of insects were highest during warm months, as was bat activity, and bat activity was positively correlated with insect biomass. Winter-active insects consisted predominantly of Diptera and Lepidoptera, which may provide an important winter food resource for insectivorous bats. The Malaise trap attracted fewer insect orders and biomass than did the light trap, and insects congregated within 6 m of artificial lights, so bats that forage at lights may have an advantage in urban areas. A strong need for the inclusion of urban insects to biodiversity inventories exists in the context of bat conservation.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Robert Aebi, Peter Baldacchino, Bruno Castellucci, Roger Clay, Alan Dickens, Zoe Drechsler, Alice Egan, Mike Gemmell, Joan Gibbs, Chris Havelberg, David Hunt, Rodney Hutchinson, Greg Johnston, Serina Lattanzio, Martin Lewicki, Chris Pavey, Angi Pestell, Terry Reardon, Philip Roetman, Janine Slocombe, Fleur Tiver, and Ashley walker for their technical and field support. We acknowledge Nancy McIntyre as well as anonymous reviewers for reading the manuscript. We thank the Adelaide City Council, the SA Museum for assistance with insect identification, the Royal Zoological Gardens of South Australia for facilitating access to the study site, as well as the Australian Bureau of Meteorology for temperature data; this study was funded by the Field Naturalists’ Society of South Australia’s Lirabenda Fund, the Nature Conservation Society of South Australia’s Conservation Biology Grant, and the University of South Australia’s Summer Scholarship program. This research was part of A. Scanlon’s Honours thesis and received funding from the School of Natural and Built Environments Honours program in Biodiversity, Environmental and Park Management. The IMVS animal users permit no. was 057/05 and the Department for Environment and Heritage permit no. was M 25074 1.

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  1. School of Natural and Built Environments, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, South Australia, 5095, Australia

    Annette T. Scanlon & Sophie Petit

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Scanlon, A.T., Petit, S. Biomass and biodiversity of nocturnal aerial insects in an Adelaide City park and implications for bats (Microchiroptera). Urban Ecosyst 11, 91–106 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-007-0043-6

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