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Differences in diet can explain resource partitioning in apparently
similar, sympatric species. Here, we analyzed 1,252 fecal droppings from
five species (Eptesicus nilssonii, Myotis brandtii, M. daubentonii, M.
mystacinus, and Plecotus auritus) to reveal their dietary niches using
fecal DNA metabarcoding. We identified nearly 550 prey species in 13
arthropod orders. Two main orders (Diptera and Lepidoptera) formed the
majority of the diet for all species, constituting roughly 80%–90% of the
diet. All five species had different dietary assemblages. We also found
significant differences in the size of prey species between the bat
species. Our results on diet composition remain mostly unchanged when
using either read counts as a proxy for quantitative diet or
presence–absence data, indicating a strong biological pattern. We conclude
that although bats share major components in their ecology (nocturnal life
style, insectivory, and echolocation), species differ in feeding behavior,
suggesting bats may have distinctive evolutionary strategies. Diet
analysis helps illuminate life history traits of various species, adding
to sparse ecological knowledge, which can be utilized in conservation
planning.
336 views reported since publication in 2019.