Urban bats show dietary flexibility in aquatic arthropod consumption at urban and rural waterbodies

Abstract

Urban waterbodies are critical for biodiversity and provide feeding grounds for insectivorous bats. Yet, how urbanisation affects bats' food choices at urban waterbodies and the role of emergent aquatic arthropods remain poorly understood. We compared the diet of three urban bat species – Vespadelus vulturnus, Chalinolobus gouldii,and Myotis macropus – in southeastern Australia that vary in their consumption of emergent aquatic arthropods. Our aims were to assess 1) their dietary composition, 2) the proportion of aquatic compared to terrestrial arthropods in their diet at urban and rural waterbodies, and 3) the proportion of consumed versus available arthropods. We analysed faecal pellets fr..