Geoffroy saguzarraren dieta Euskal Herrian

Abstract

The notch-eared bat is fond of diurnal flies and spiders, but the importance of each prey type varies according to geographic location. In this study, we chose eleven colonies in the Basque Country and its surroundings, and we analyzed their diet using DNA metabarcoding throughout the whole maternity season, with the aim of studying the spatio-temporal variability of the diet. Overall, the notch-eared bat presents a diet rich in both spiders and diurnal flies in the colonies studied. In July, a greater consumption of the fly Stomoxys calcitrans can be expected in the colonies where livestock farming is more important. This indicates that ensuring availability of these two types of prey species is essential for the conservation of the notch-eared bat in the Basque Country.