Relating Diet and Capture Time Between two Species of Frugivorous Bats (Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae, Stenodermatinae)

Abstract

Artibeus lituratus (Olfers, 1818) and Platyrrhinus lineatus (Geoffroy, 1810) are phyllostomid bats that often coexist in the same local and consume the same feed. Therefore, the aim of this study was to obtain data about feeding habits of the two species, relating to their capture times, in the land where is the Universidade Estadual de Londrina, northern Paraná. The samples were attained among September 2010 and May 2011, with 12 960 m2 h of sampling effort. The results analysis contemplated the Shannon Index, Pielou Index and Schoener Index. 250 A. lituratus e 46 P. lineatus were captured, and while the first one consumed fruits from ten vegetable species, the second fed just three species, both preferring the Cecropia spp. and Ficus spp. genus. A. lituratus showed the higher capture peak 30 minutes after the sunset and was collected throughout the period. P. lineatus had its higher peak 01h 45min after nightfall and was captured in short periods. With these outcomes, is possible to imply that P. lineatus has a foraging peak, in the study place, 75 minutes after A. lituratus, avoiding straight competition. A. lituratus showed larger food diversity, indicating higher adaptative potential for this specie than for the other.