Occurrence of ectoparasitic flies (Diptera: Streblidae)of bats (Chiroptera: Mammalia) in a semideciduousforest remnant in Northern Paraná, Brazil / Ocorrência de moscas ectoparasitas (Diptera: Streblidae) de morcegos (Chiroptera: Mammalia) em um remanescentede floresta semidecídua no Norte do Paraná, Brasil

This study constitutes the first record of parasitism and associations between bat flies ectoparasite of the Streblidae family and bats (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) in the São Francisco Forest State Park (SFFSP). The bats were captured using mist nets set up at various points along the park's visitor trail. Following collection, the bats were inspected for ectoparasites, which when found were collected with metal tweezers and stored in vials with 70% alcohol to be identified later. The captured bats were subjected to morphometrics so that the information obtained could help identify which bat species was the host of the ectoparasite collected and then they were released. A total of 36 dipterans from the Streblidae family belonging to six species from four genera: Aspidoptera falcata Wenzel, 1976; Aspidoptera phyllostomatis (Perty, 1833); Megistopoda aranea (Coquillett, 1899); Megistopoda proxima (Séguy, 1926); Paratrichobius longicrus (Miranda Ribeiro, 1907) and Trichobius joblingiWenzel, 1966, infesting phyllostomids of four species: Artibeus lituratus (Olfers, 1818); Artibeus planirostris (Spix, 1823); Carollia perspicillata (Linneaus, 1758) and Sturnira lilium (E. Geoffroy, 1810). The most abundant species were Trichobius joblingi (38.89%) and Aspidoptera phyllostomatis(27.78%).

Este estudo constitui o primeiro registro de parasitismo e associações entre moscas ectoparasitas de morcegos da família Streblidae e morcegos (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) no Parque Estadual Floresta São Francisco (PEFSF). Os morcegos foram capturados usando redes de neblina instaladas em vários pontos ao longo da trilha de visitantes do parque. Após a coleta, os morcegos foram inspecionados em busca de ectoparasitas, que, quando encontrados, eram coletados com pinças metálicas e armazenados em frascos com álcool 70% para serem identificados posteriormente. Os morcegos capturados foram submetidos à morfometria para que as informações obtidas pudessem ajudar a identificar qual espécie de morcego era a hospedeira do ectoparasita coletado e, em seguida, foram liberados. Um total de 36 dípteros de Streblidae foram coletados, pertencentes a seis espécies de quatro gêneros: Aspidoptera falcata Wenzel, 1976; Aspidoptera phyllostomatis (Perty, 1833); Megistopoda aranea (Coquillett, 1899); Megistopoda proxima (Séguy, 1926); Paratrichobius longicrus (Miranda Ribeiro, 1907) e Trichobius joblingi Wenzel, 1966, infestando filostomídeos de quatro espécies: Artibeus lituratus(Olfers, 1818); Artibeus planirostris (Spix, 1823); Carollia perspicillata (Linneaus, 1758) e Sturnira lilium (E. Geoffroy, 1810). As espécies mais abundantes foram Trichobius joblingi (38,89%) e Aspidoptera phyllostomatis (27,78%).

Unraveling the diversity of Trypanosoma species from Central Mexico: Molecular confirmation on the presence of Trypanosoma dionisii and novel Neobat linages.

Bats are one of the groups of mammals with the highest number of associated Trypanosoma taxa. There are 50 Trypanosoma species and genotypes infecting more than 75 species of bats across five continents. However, in Mexico, the inventory of species of the genus Trypanosoma associated with bats is limited to only two species (Trypanosoma vespertilionis and Trypanosoma cruzi) even though 140 species of bats inhabit this country. Specifically, 91 bat species have been recorded in the state of Veracruz, but records of trypanosomatids associated with this mammalian group are absent. Due to the complex Trypanosoma-bat relationship, the high diversity of bat species in Veracruz, as well as the lack of records of trypanosomatids associated with bats for this state, the aim of this work was to analyze the diversity of species of the genus Trypanosoma and their presence from a bat community in the central area of the state of Veracruz, Mexico. During the period of January to August 2022 in the Tequecholapa Environmental Management Unit where bats were collected using mist nets and blood samples were obtained from their thumbs. We extracted genetic material and amplified a fragment of 800 bp of the 18S ribosomal gene of the genus Trypanosoma by conventional PCR. The positive amplicons were sequenced, and phylogenetic reconstruction was performed to identify the parasite species. A total of 285 bats (149♀, 136♂) belonging to 13 species from 10 genera and a single family (Phyllostomidae) were collected. Twenty-three specimens from six species tested positive for the presence of Trypanosoma dionisii, Trypanosoma sp. Neobat 4, and a potential novelty species provisionally named as Trypanosoma sp. Neobat 6. The results of the present work increase the number of species of the genus Trypanosoma infecting bats in Mexico and in the Neotropical region.

Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) in urban-rural interfaces: community structure associated with pathogen screening in São Paulo-the largest metropolitan region in Brazil.

Little is known about the influence of the urban environments on bat species 'ecology. The urbanization process potentially lead to critical ecological changes in bat communities' intra and interspecific pathogenic transmissions dynamics. To date, the monitoring of pathogens in bats in Brazil has only been done with bats found dead or alive in households, from rabies surveillance systems. The present work aimed to investigate how urbanization influenced bat richness, relative abundance and pathogen occurrence. Most captured bats were Phyllostomidae, especially Sturnira lilium, Artibeus lituratus, A. fimbriatus, Glossophaga soricina, and Platyrrhinus lineatus, among others. From preserved-rural towards urban areas the lesser the bat richness, the higher the relative abundance of the captured bats. Noise level, luminosity and relative humidity correlated with bat abundance. The proportion of genders, sexually active bats and their size (weight, right forearm length, and body condition index) were stable throughout the investigation. Still, the proportion of pregnant females was higher in Spring and the number of juveniles in Summer, evidencing the seasonality of reproduction. Several Enterobacteria were isolated, evidencing a significant role of bats in the circulation of pathogens of medical and veterinary interest. These results are crucial in the pursuit of a harmonious coexistence between humans, bats and domestic animals in areas with different levels of anthropization.

Effects of forest loss and fragmentation on bat-ectoparasite interactions.

Human land use causes habitat loss and fragmentation, influencing host-parasite associations through changes in infestation rates, host mortality and possibly local extinction. Bat-ectoparasite interactions are an important host-parasite model possibly affected by such changes, as this system acts as both reservoirs and vectors of several pathogens that can infect different wild and domestic species. This study aimed to assess how the prevalence and abundance of bat ectoparasites respond to forest loss, fragmentation, and edge length. Bats and ectoparasites were sampled at twenty sites, forming a gradient of forest cover, in southwestern Brazil during two wet (2015 and 2016) and two dry (2016 and 2017) seasons. Effects of landscape metrics on host abundance as well as parasite prevalence and abundance were assessed through structural equation models. Nine host-parasite associations provided sufficient data for analyses, including one tick and eight flies on four bat species. Forest cover positively influenced the prevalence or abundance of three fly species, but negatively influenced one fly and the tick species. Prevalence or abundance responded positively to edge length for three fly species, and negatively for the tick. In turn, number of fragments influenced the prevalence or abundance of four fly species, two positively and two negatively. Our results support species-specific responses of ectoparasites to landscape features, and a tendency of host-generalist ticks to benefit from deforestation while most host-specialist flies are disadvantaged. Differences in host traits and abundance, along with parasite life cycles and environmental conditions, are possible explanations to our findings.

The mitochondrial genomes of big-eared bats, Macrotus waterhousii and Macrotus californicus (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae: Macrotinae).

In the species-rich family Phyllostomidae, the genus Macrotus ('big eared' bats) contains only two species; Macrotus waterhousii, distributed in western, central, and southern Mexico, Guatemala and some Caribbean Islands, and Macrotus californicus, distributed in the southwestern USA, and in the Baja California peninsula and the state of Sonora in Mexico. In this study, we sequenced and assembled the mitochondrial genome of Macrotus waterhousii and characterized in detail this genome and that of the congeneric M. californicus. Then, we examined the phylogenetic position of Macrotus in the family Phyllostomidae based on protein coding genes (PCGs). The AT-rich mitochondrial genomes of M. waterhousii and M. californicus are 16,792 and 16,691 bp long, respectively, and each encode 13 PCGs, 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes, and a putative non-coding control region 1,336 and 1,232 bp long, respectively. Mitochondrial synteny in Macrotus is identical to that reported before for all other cofamilial species. In the two studied species, all tRNAs exhibit a 'typical' cloverleaf secondary structure with the exception of trnS1, which lacks the D arm. A selective pressure analysis demonstrated that all PCGs are under purifying selection. The CR of the two species feature three domains previously reported in other mammals, including bats: extended terminal associated sequences (ETAS), central (CD), and conserved sequence block (CSB). A phylogenetic analysis based on the 13 mitochondrial PCGs demonstrated that Macrotus is monophyletic and the subfamily Macrotinae is a sister group of all remaining phyllostomids in our analysis, except Micronycterinae. The assembly and detailed analysis of these mitochondrial genomes represents a step further to continue improving the understanding of phylogenetic relationships within the species-rich family Phyllostomidae.

Flight performance and wing morphology in the bat Carollia perspicillata: biophysical models and energetics.

Studies on functional performance are important to understand the processes responsible for the evolution of diversity. Morphological trait variation within species influences the energetic cost of locomotion and impacts life history traits, with ecological and evolutionary consequences. This study examined wing morphology correlates of flight performance measured by energetic expenditure in the Seba's short-tailed bat, Carollia perspicillata. In the flight experiments, nature caught bats (59 females, 57 males) were allowed to fly for 3 min in a room. After each flight, thermographic images were taken to measure body temperature, and biophysical models were used to calculate sensible heat loss as a measure of energetic expenditure. Wing morphological traits were measured for each individual and associated with heat loss and power required to fly on performance surfaces. Wing morphological traits explained 7-10% of flight energetic cost, and morphologies with the best performance would save the energy equivalent to 9-30% of total daily requirements. The optimal performance areas within the C. perspicillata morphospace were consistent with predicted selection trends from the literature. A trade-off between demands for flight speed and maneuverability was observed. Wing loading and camber presented sexual dimorphism. These morphological differences are likely associated with more economical but less maneuverable flight in females, leading them to fly more often in open areas along the forest edge. Our findings demonstrate how small scale changes in wing morphology can affect life history strategies and fitness.

Ectoparasitic flies of bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) in urban green areas of northeastern Brazil.

In urban and degraded areas, ectoparasite abundance can be affected by increasing human population density and habitat fragmentation. This study aimed to characterize the ectoparasitic fly community associated with bats in the urban green areas of Sergipe, Brazil. Campaigns were conducted monthly, for two consecutive nights, between September 2019 and February 2021. To capture the bats, ten mist nets were set up inside and at the edge of the habitat fragments. All ectoparasites found were removed from the bats and stored in 70% alcohol. The specificity index, parasitological rates, and level of parasite aggregation were calculated, and the influence of host sex and seasonality on parasitological rates were verified for the most parasitized bats. The collected ectoparasites corresponded to the families Nycteribiidae (S = 1; n = 26) and Streblidae (S = 13; n = 849), with Trichobius costalimai and Medistopoda aranea being the most abundant species. For some interactions, there was an influence of host sex on the prevalence rates, with the highest number of parasites being found on females, which can be explained by their greater susceptibility to parasitism owing to their long stay in roosts. The seasonality influenced the parasitological rates, and opposing patterns (from what was expected) were observed for some interactions; this influence may be due to the biological differences between parasite species. This study provides relevant data on this interaction, especially for urban areas in northeastern Brazil, expanding the number of studies in the State of Sergipe and promoting future studies.

Two in one: the little bat that pollinates and disperses plants at an urban site in Southeastern Brazil / Dois em um: o pequeno morcego que poliniza e dispersa plantas em local urbano no Sudeste do Brasil

The glossophagine Pallas's long-tongued bat (Glossophaga soricina) fares well in urban environments across its range. In addition to roost sites, there are nectar and fruit sources available in diverse situations across the urban gradient. Phyllostomid bats that thrive in urbanized situations are behaviorally plastic generalists and rely on patches of ornamental or feral plants as food sources. Herein we report on G. soricina and its food sources at an urbanized site in Southeastern Brazil. This small phyllostomid bat consumes nectar from landscaping ornamental plants, besides consuming the soft pulp along with the tiny seeds of pioneer trees and shrubs. In addition to these natural sources, the bat exploits hummingbird feeders to consume the sugared water. Ingested small seeds are defecated in flight, the bat acting as a disperser of pioneer plants that favor cleared areas. Glossophaga soricina role as flower-pollinator and seed-disperser at Neotropical urban areas merits further attention due both to the maintenance of urban biodiversity and delivery of ecosystem services

O morcego beija-flor (Glossophaga soricina) adapta-se a ambientes urbanos na sua área de distribuição. Além de abrigos diurnos, há fontes de néctar e frutos ao longo do gradiente urbano. Morcegos filostomídeos que se adaptam a situações urbanas são generalistas comportamentalmente flexíveis e dependem de trechos com plantas ornamentais ou ferais como fonte alimentar. Relatamos aqui informações sobre o morcego beija-flor e suas fontes alimentares em um local urbanizado no sudeste do Brasil. Este pequeno morcego glossofagíneo busca néctar em plantas usadas em paisagismo, além de consumir a polpa macia, juntamente com as sementes minúsculas, de plantas pioneiras. Além destas fontes naturais, o morcego explora água açucarada dos bebedouros de beija-flores. Sementes pequenas são defecadas em voo e o morcego age como dispersor de plantas poineiras em áreas sem vegetação. A função de G. soricina como polinizador de flores e dispersor de sementes em áreas urbanas nos Neotrópicos merece atenção adicional devido à manutenção da biodiversidade urbana e da prestação de serviços ecossistêmicos.

NeoBat Interactions: A data set of bat-plant interactions in the Neotropics.

Data papers and open databases have revolutionized contemporary science, as they provide the long-needed incentive to collaborate in large international teams and make natural history information widely available. Nevertheless, most data papers have focused on species occurrence or abundance, whereas interactions have received much less attention. To help fill this gap, we have compiled a georeferenced data set of interactions between 93 bat species of the family Phyllostomidae (Chiroptera) and 501 plant species of 68 families. Data came from 169 studies published between 1957 and 2007 covering the entire Neotropical Region, with most records from Brazil (34.5% of all study sites), Costa Rica (16%), and Mexico (14%). Our data set includes 2571 records of frugivory (75.1% of all records) and nectarivory (24.9%). The best represented bat genera are Artibeus (28% of all records), Carollia (24%), Sturnira (10.1%), and Glossophaga (8.8%). Carollia perspicillata (187), Artibeus lituratus (125), Artibeus jamaicensis (94), Glossophaga soricina (86), and Artibeus planirostris (74) were the bat species with the broadest diets recorded based on the number of plant species. Among the plants, the best represented families were Moraceae (17%), Piperaceae (15.4%), Urticaceae (9.2%), and Solanaceae (9%). Plants of the genera Cecropia (46), Ficus (42), Piper (40), Solanum (31), and Vismia (27) exhibited the largest number of interactions. These data are stored as arrays (records, sites, and studies) organized by logical keys and rich metadata, which helped to compile the information on different ecological and geographic scales, according to how they should be used. Our data set on bat-plant interactions is by far the most extensive, both in geographic and taxonomic terms, and includes abiotic information of study sites, as well as ecological information of plants and bats. It has already facilitated several studies and we hope it will stimulate novel analyses and syntheses, in addition to pointing out important gaps in knowledge. Data are provided under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Please cite this paper when the data are used in any kind of publication related to research, outreach, and teaching activities.

Bat fly (Diptera: Streblidae) and common vampire bat (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) association in Honduras: prevalence, mean intensity, infracommunities and influence of the biological characteristics of the host

ABSTRACT Bat species present a series of attributes that makes them prone to being parasitized. Bat flies (Streblidae) are hematophagous ectoparasites exclusive to bats. Our study aimed to investigate the association of bat flies with the Common vampire bat, Desmodus rotundus (É. Geoffroy, 1810), in Honduras. We analyzed the effect of sex and age of the host on parasitism. Eight localities belonging to six departments were sampled in an altitudinal range between 50 and 995 m. Field data were obtained between May 2018 to November 2019 and 80 individuals were captured, from which 395 bat flies were extracted. Four species of bat flies were registered: Strebla wiedemanni Kolenati, 1856, Trichobius parasiticus Gervais, 1844, T. joblingi Wenzel, 1966 and T. caecus Edwards, 1948. Trichobius parasiticus presented the highest prevalence and mean intensity, followed by S. wiedemanni. Trichobius joblingi and T. caecus are new records of parasitism on D. rotundus for Honduras, although we consider as an accidental association. We recorded six types of infracommunities that parasitized 85% of the hosts. The prevalence and mean intensity was not affected by age and sex of the host for any bat fly species.

Bat fly (Diptera: Streblidae) and common vampire bat (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) association in Honduras: prevalence, mean intensity, infracommunities and influence of the biological characteristics of the host

Bat species present a series of attributes that makes them prone to being parasitized. Bat flies (Streblidae) are hematophagous ectoparasites exclusive to bats. Our study aimed to investigate the association of bat flies with the Common vampire bat, Desmodus rotundus (É. Geoffroy, 1810), in Honduras. We analyzed the effect of sex and age of the host on parasitism. Eight localities belonging to six departments were sampled in an altitudinal range between 50 and 995 m. Field data were obtained between May 2018 to November 2019 and 80 individuals were captured, from which 395 bat flies were extracted. Four species of bat flies were registered: Strebla wiedemanni Kolenati, 1856, Trichobius parasiticus Gervais, 1844, T. joblingi Wenzel, 1966 and T. caecus Edwards, 1948. Trichobius parasiticus presented the highest prevalence and mean intensity, followed by S. wiedemanni. Trichobius joblingi and T. caecus are new records of parasitism on D. rotundus for Honduras, although we consider as an accidental association. We recorded six types of infracommunities that parasitized 85% of the hosts. The prevalence and mean intensity was not affected by age and sex of the host for any bat fly species.

Movement syndromes of a Neotropical frugivorous bat inhabiting heterogeneous landscapes in Brazil.

BACKGROUND: There is growing evidence that individuals within populations can vary in both habitat use and movement behavior, but it is still not clear how these two relate to each other. The aim of this study was to test if and how individual bats in a Stunira lilium population differ in their movement activity and preferences for landscape features in a correlated manner. METHODS: We collected data on movements of 27 individuals using radio telemetry. We fitted a heterogeneous-space diffusion model to the movement data in order to evaluate signals of movement variation among individuals. RESULTS: S. lilium individuals generally preferred open habitat with Solanum fruits, regularly switched between forest and open areas, and showed high site fidelity. Movement variation among individuals could be summarized in four movement syndromes: (1) average individuals, (2) forest specialists, (3) explorers which prefer Piper, and (4) open area specialists which prefer Solanum and Cecropia. CONCLUSIONS: Individual preferences for landscape features plus food resource and movement activity were correlated, resulting in different movement syndromes. Individual variation in preferences for landscape elements and food resources highlight the importance of incorporating explicitly the interaction between landscape structure and individual heterogeneity in descriptions of animal movement.

Bats in a restinga area in Sergipe, Northeastern Brazil

There is little known about the bats of the Brazilian restinga as most studies have concentrated on the countrys south and southeast regions. In Sergipe, Northeastern Brazil, the only study previously carried out registered 17 species in different restinga habitats. Thus, this study aimed to characterize the bat community in a restinga area in Sergipe and update the list of species that occur in the area. The study was carried out in the Caju Private Natural Heritage Reserve, on the south coast of the state of Sergipe. Monthly campaigns were carried out from October 2016 to September 2017 over two consecutive nights and alternating between two sites to capture the bats. We captured Bats using 10 mist nets that remained open between 6:00 p.m. and 12:00 p.m. We determined the abundance and trophic guilds of the captured species. In addition, we obtained the occurrence frequency degree through the Constancy Index. We captured 457 individuals distributed over 13 species and two families, where three species represented a new record for the locality. The family Phyllostomidae was the richest and most abundant. Most species were frugivorous (61.5%). According to the Constancy Index, only four species were considered common. Using Jackknife 1 estimator, we estimated 14.83 species for the area, indicating that the richness obtained in this study corresponds to 87.6% of this estimate. This study resulted in an 17.6% increase in bat richness known for the area. The high representativeness of the Phyllostomidae family may be related to the capture method used. The predominance of frugivores bats in this study may be associated with the presence of many fruit trees in the area. The low occurrence of species considered common is often reported and can be explained by the species trophic specializations and by the sampling methods. Considering the scarcity of studies in restinga areas in Northeastern Brazil, this work becomes important for the knowledge of the bats in this environment, especially for Sergipe.(AU)

Chromosome Painting in Lonchorhina aurita Sheds Light onto the Controversial Phylogenetic Position of Sword-Nosed Bats (Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae).

The subfamily Lonchorhininae encompasses 6 species of sword-nosed bats (Lonchorhina) and is one of the most problematic lineages in the Neotropical leaf-nosed bats (Phyllostomidae) phylogeny. There are at least 5 different hypotheses to explain when the subfamily diverged from the remaining phyllostomids, but none with robust statistical support. Here, we generated a chromosome painting homology map of Lonchorhina aurita karyotype (2n = 32 and FN = 60) using whole-chromosome probes of Macrotus californicus (MCA; 2n = 40 and FN = 60). We placed the karyotype changes of L. aurita in a phylogenetic context to discuss the most likely branching position of Lonchorhininae based on karyotypic evolution. We show that L. aurita has a derived karyotype with 24 segments homologous to the 20 MCA chromosomes used as probes. Comparative analyses between 7 published painted bats species across 4 phyllostomid subfamilies (Macrotinae, Phyllostominae, Glossophaginae, and Lonchophyllinae) revealed that one inversion (MCA 4inv) and one fusion (MCA 17 + 18) are shared derived features between the karyotypes of L. aurita and species of Phyllostominae not yet observed in other bats. Our data show that chromosomal homology maps may contribute with new insights into a long-standing phylogenetic debate that has endured for decades.

Bats in a restinga area in Sergipe, Northeastern Brazil

Abstract There is little known about the bats of the Brazilian restinga as most studies have concentrated on the countrys south and southeast regions. In Sergipe, Northeastern Brazil, the only study previously carried out registered 17 species in different restinga habitats. Thus, this study aimed to characterize the bat community in a restinga area in Sergipe and update the list of species that occur in the area. The study was carried out in the Caju Private Natural Heritage Reserve, on the south coast of the state of Sergipe. Monthly campaigns were carried out from October 2016 to September 2017 over two consecutive nights and alternating between two sites to capture the bats. We captured Bats using 10 mist nets that remained open between 6:00 p.m. and 12:00 p.m. We determined the abundance and trophic guilds of the captured species. In addition, we obtained the occurrence frequency degree through the Constancy Index. We captured 457 individuals distributed over 13 species and two families, where three species represented a new record for the locality. The family Phyllostomidae was the richest and most abundant. Most species were frugivorous (61.5%). According to the Constancy Index, only four species were considered common. Using Jackknife 1 estimator, we estimated 14.83 species for the area, indicating that the richness obtained in this study corresponds to 87.6% of this estimate. This study resulted in an 17.6% increase in bat richness known for the area. The high representativeness of the Phyllostomidae family may be related to the capture method used. The predominance of frugivores bats in this study may be associated with the presence of many fruit trees in the area. The low occurrence of species considered common is often reported and can be explained by the species trophic specializations and by the sampling methods. Considering the scarcity of studies in restinga areas in Northeastern Brazil, this work becomes important for the knowledge of the bats in this environment, especially for Sergipe.

Bats in a restinga area in Sergipe, Northeastern Brazil

Abstract There is little known about the bats of the Brazilian restinga as most studies have concentrated on the country's south and southeast regions. In Sergipe, Northeastern Brazil, the only study previously carried out registered 17 species in different restinga habitats. Thus, this study aimed to characterize the bat community in a restinga area in Sergipe and update the list of species that occur in the area. The study was carried out in the Caju Private Natural Heritage Reserve, on the south coast of the state of Sergipe. Monthly campaigns were carried out from October 2016 to September 2017 over two consecutive nights and alternating between two sites to capture the bats. We captured Bats using 10 mist nets that remained open between 6:00 p.m. and 12:00 p.m. We determined the abundance and trophic guilds of the captured species. In addition, we obtained the occurrence frequency degree through the Constancy Index. We captured 457 individuals distributed over 13 species and two families, where three species represented a new record for the locality. The family Phyllostomidae was the richest and most abundant. Most species were frugivorous (61.5%). According to the Constancy Index, only four species were considered common. Using Jackknife 1 estimator, we estimated 14.83 species for the area, indicating that the richness obtained in this study corresponds to 87.6% of this estimate. This study resulted in an 17.6% increase in bat richness known for the area. The high representativeness of the Phyllostomidae family may be related to the capture method used. The predominance of frugivores bats in this study may be associated with the presence of many fruit trees in the area. The low occurrence of species considered common is often reported and can be explained by the species' trophic specializations and by the sampling methods. Considering the scarcity of studies in restinga areas in Northeastern Brazil, this work becomes important for the knowledge of the bats in this environment, especially for Sergipe.

Individual specialization in the use of space by frugivorous bats.

Natural populations are not homogenous systems but sets of individuals that occupy subsets of the species' niche. This phenomenon is known as individual specialization. Recently, several studies found evidence of individual specialization in animal diets. Diet is a critical dimension of a species' niche that affects several other dimensions, including space use, which has been poorly studied under the light of individual specialization. In this study, which harnesses the framework of the movement ecology paradigm and uses yellow-shouldered bats Sturnira lilium as a model, we ask how food preferences lead individual bats of the same population to forage mainly in different locations and habitats. Ten individual bats were radiotracked in a heterogeneous Brazilian savanna. First, we modelled intraspecific variation in space use as a network of individual bats and the landscape elements visited by them. Second, we developed two novel metrics, the spatial individual specialization index (SpatIS) and the spatial individual complementary specialization index (SpatICS). Additionally, we tested food-plant availability as a driver of interindividual differences in space use. There was large interindividual variation in space use not explained by sex or weight. Our results point to individual specialization in space use in the studied population of S. lilium, most probably linked to food-plant distribution. Individual specialization affects not only which plant species frugivores consume, but also the way they move in space, ultimately with consequences for seed dispersal and landscape connectivity.

As populações naturais não são sistemas homogêneos, mas grupos de indivíduos que ocupam subconjuntos do nicho da espécie. Esse fenômeno é conhecido como especialização individual. Recentemente, vários estudos encontraram evidências de especialização individual na dieta de diferentes espécies de animais. A dieta é uma dimensão crítica do nicho de uma espécie que afeta várias outras dimensões, incluindo o uso do espaço, que foi pouco estudado à luz da especialização individual. No presente estudo, utilizando o paradigma da ecologia do movimento e morcegos Sturnira lilium como modelo, nós buscamos compreender como as preferências alimentares levam os indivíduos de uma mesma população a forragear em diferentes locais e habitats. Dez indivíduos foram rastreados por radiotelemetria em uma área heterogênea de Cerrado. Primeiro, modelamos a variação intraespecífica no uso do espaço como uma rede formada pelos indivíduos e pelos elementos da paisagem visitados por eles. Segundo, desenvolvemos duas novas métricas, o índice de especialização individual espacial (SpatIS) e o índice de especialização individual complementar espacial (SpatICS). Além disso, testamos a disponibilidade de plantas-alimento como um fator determinante das diferenças entre os indivíduos no uso do espaço. Houve grande variação interindividual no uso do espaço não explicada por sexo ou peso. Nossos resultados apontam para a especialização individual no uso do espaço na população estudada de S. lilium, provavelmente ligada à distribuição de plantas-alimento. Concluímos que a especialização individual afeta não apenas quais espécies de plantas os animais frugívoros consomem, mas também a maneira como eles se movem no espaço, o que em última análise tem consequências para a dispersão de sementes e a conectividade da paisagem.

Reproduction and population dynamics of cave-dwelling bats in Costa of Oaxaca, México / Reproducción y dinámica poblacional de murciélagos cavernícolas en Costa de Oaxaca, México

Introduction: Reproduction is a critical phase for most living organisms and in bats the reproductive strategies exhibit considerable complexity and variability. Objective: To describe the reproductive patterns and population dynamics of seven bat species (Artibeus toltecus, Carollia perspicillata, Glossophaga soricina, Mormoops megalophylla, Pteronotus fulvus, Pteronotus mesoamericanus and Natalus mexicanus) that roost in one mine (La Mina) and two caves (El Apanguito and Cerro Huatulco) in the State of Oaxaca, in Southeastern México. Methods: Sampling was conducted monthly from July 2016 to June 2017. Bats were captured using a harp trap, which was placed at the entrance of the roosts. The captured bats were identified using taxonomic keys, marked with an aluminum ring, sex and age class were also determined. Reproductive activity was modeled through 63 GLMs for each species (504 in total). The best model was selected according to the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC). Results: A total of 5 836 bats were captured and marked, classified into 14 species, 10 genera, and five families. The most abundant species were: P. fulvus and P. mesoamericanus, representing 41 % and 32.3 % of the captures, respectively. The mormopids M. megalophylla, P. fulvus, P. mesoamericanus,together with N. mexicanus showed a restricted seasonal monoestrous pattern, while the phyllostomids A. toltecus, C. perspicillata, and G. soricina showed a seasonal bimodal polyoestry pattern. The monthly abundance of species fluctuated significantly (H= 13, df= 11, P= 0.044) in the three roosts throughout the entire study period and the best supported GLM that included the seven species showed that the six chosen variables (season, sex, roost, temperature, precipitation and humidity) were positively associated with reproductive activity. Conclusions: The reproductive activity of each species seems to be synchronized with the end of the dry season and the beginning of the rainy season, as well as influenced by factors such as temperature, humidity and roost site.

Introducción: La reproducción es una fase crítica para la mayoría de los organismos vivos y en los murciélagos las estrategias reproductivas exhiben considerable complejidad y variabilidad. Objetivo: Describir los patrones reproductivos y la dinámica poblacional de siete especies de murciélagos: Artibeus toltecus, Carollia perspicillata, Glossophaga soricina, Mormoops megalophylla, Pteronotus fulvus, Pteronotus mesoamericanus y Natalus mexicanus, que se refugian en una mina (La Mina) y dos cuevas (El Apanguito y Cerro Huatulco), en el estado de Oaxaca, sureste de México. Métodos: El muestreo se realizó una vez al mes de julio 2016 a junio 2017. Los murciélagos se capturaron utilizando una trampa de arpa que fue colocada en la entrada de los refugios. La especie de los murciélagos capturados fue determinada con claves de identificación taxonómica, además fueron marcados con un anillo de aluminio y también se determinó el sexo y la clase de edad. La actividad reproductiva fue modelada a través de 63 GLMs para cada especie (504 en total). El mejor modelo fue seleccionado según el Criterio de Información de Akaike (AIC). Resultados: Se capturaron y marcaron 5 836 murciélagos, incluidos en 14 especies, 10 géneros y cinco familias. Las especies más abundantes fueron: P. fulvus y P. mesoamericanus, que representaron el 41 y el 32.3 % de las capturas, respectivamente. Los mormópidos M. megalophylla, P. fulvus, P. mesoamericanus junto con N. mexicanus mostraron un patrón monoéstrico estacional,mientras que los filostómidos A. toltecus, C. perspicillata y G. soricina mostraron un patrón poliéstrico estacional bimodal. La abundancia mensual de las especies fluctuó significativamente (H= 13, df= 11, P= 0.044) en los tres refugios a lo largo del periodo de estudio y el GLM mejor respaldado que incluyó las siete especies mostró que las seis variables elegidas (temporada, sexo, refugio, temperatura, precipitación y humedad) se asociaron positivamente con la actividad reproductiva. Conclusiones: La actividad reproductiva de cada especie parece estar sincronizada con el final de la temporada seca y el comienzo de la temporada de lluvias, e influenciada por factores como temperatura, humedad y el sitio de refugio.

Character variation and taxonomy of short-tailed fruit bats from Carollia in Brazil

Carollia has a complex taxonomic history and is widely distributed in the Neotropics. Species of Carollia appear to have differentiated recently in the late Cenozoic, and present overlapping morphological characters that may not be useful to distinguish among species. Carollia has recently been revised, but only a few specimens representing the Brazilian distribution of Carollia within Brazil were studied. We reviewed specimens of Carollia distributed in several localities of Brazil revisiting previously described morphological characters for species identification, and taxonomic problems within the genus. We found a large degree of overlap between characters previously used to distinguish among species of Carollia, and some of them constitute variation within a same species. We also report new records extending the known distribution of C. benkeithi to farther east of its previously known distribution (Parauapebas, southeastern Pará, and Vitória do Xingu, Pará, eastern Amazonian Brazil) and one record extending the distribution of C. brevicauda south to Corumbá, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.