A metabarcoding assessment of the diet of insectivorous bats on the subtropical Madeira Island

ABSTRACT: Understanding the trophic structure of species assemblages is crucial in order to comprehend how syntropic species coexist in space and time. Bats are the second most taxonomically diverse group of mammals and display a wide range of dietary strategies. Due to their ability to disperse over water, ca. 60% of all extant bat species occur on islands and for the most part their interspecific ecological interactions are poorly known. Using DNA metabarcoding, this study offers the first insights into the diet of Macaronesian bats by providing a holistic overview of prey consumed by all 3 bat species found on Madeira Island (Pipistrellus maderensis, Nyctalus leisleri verrucosus and Plecotus austriacus) and investigating both interspecific (between P. maderensis and N. l. verrucosus) and intraspe

ORGANISM(S): Arthropoda Chiroptera

SUBMITTER:  

PROVIDER: S-BSST1337 | biostudies-other |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other