Spatiotemporal and demographic variation in the diet of New Zealand lesser short-tailed bats (Mystacina tuberculata).

ABSTRACT: Variation in the diet of generalist insectivores can be affected by site-specific traits including weather, habitat, and season, as well as demographic traits such as reproductive status and age. We used molecular methods to compare diets of three distinct New Zealand populations of lesser short-tailed bats, Mystacina tuberculata. Summer diets were compared between a southern cold-temperate (Eglinton) and a northern population (Puroera). Winter diets were compared between Pureora and a subtropical offshore island population (Hauturu). This also permitted seasonal diet comparisons within the Pureora population. Lepidoptera and Diptera accounted for >80% of MOTUs identified from fecal matter at each site/season. The proportion of orders represented within prey and the Simpson diversit

SUBMITTER: Czenze ZJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6106186 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature