May
1980
GENERAL
NOTES
327
MAN.
1954.
The
ole
o
he mal
adia ion
in
animal
ecology.
Ecology,
35:562-568.
MILLER,
L.
1955. Colo
change
in
he
black
bea ,
U sus
ame icanus.
J.
Mamm.,
36:460.
ROGERS,
L.
L.
1976. E ec s
o
mas
and
be y
c op
ailu es
on su i al,
g ow h,
and
ep o-
duc i e
success
o
black
bea s.
T ans.
N.
Ame .
Wild!'
Na . Res.
Con .,
41:431-438.
1977.
Social
ela ionships,
mo e-
men s,
and
popula ion
dynamics
o
black
bea s
in
no heas e n
Minneso a.
Unpuh!.
Ph.D.
disse .,
Uni .
Minneso a,
Minneapo-
lis,
194
pp.
ROGERS,
L.
L.,
ET
AL.
1976.
Cha ac e i~ ics
and
managemen
o
black
bea s
ha
eed
in
ga bage
dumps,
campg ounds,
o
esiden ial
a eas.
Pp.
169-175,
in
Bea s- hei
biology
and
managemen
(M.
R.
Pel on,
J.
W.
Len -
e ,
and
G.
E.
Folk,
eds.).
IUCN
PubI.,
New
Se ies,
Mo ges,
Swi ze land,
40:1-467.
SWAIN,
A. M. 1973. His o y
o
i e
and
ege-
a ion
in
no heas e n
Minneso a
as
eco ded
in
Jake
sedimen s.
Qua e na y
Res.,
3:383-
396.
TRUE,
F.
W. 1882.
On
a
cinnamon
bea
om
Pennsyl ania.
U.S. Na !.
Mus.,
5:653-656.
VAN
WORMER,
J. 1966.
The
wo ld
o
he
black
bea .
l B.
Lippinco
Co.,
Philadelphia
and
New
Yo k, 163
pp.
WRIGHT,
H.
E.,
JR.
1968.
His o y
o
he
p ai-
ie
peninsula.
The
Qua e na y
o
Illinois.
Spec.
Pub!.,
Vni . Illinois
College
Ag ic.,
14:1-179.
WRIGHT,
H.
E., JR.,
ET
AL.
1969.
Glacial
and
ege a ional
his o y
o
no heas e n
Minne-
so a.
Pub!.
Minneso a
Geoi.
Su .,
11:1-59.
LYNN
L.
ROGERS,
U.S.
Depa men
o
Ag icul u e,
No h
Cen al
Fo es
Expe imen
S a ion,
1992
Folu;ell
A enue, S . Paul,
MN
55108.
Submi ed
27
Ma ch
1979.
Accep ed
25
Sep embe
1979.
}.
Mamm
.•
61(2):324-327. 1980
PREY
SELECTION
BY
A NEOTROPICAL
FOLIAGE-GLEANING
BAT,
MICRONYCTERIS
MEGALOTIS
The
eeding
habi s
o
mos
insec i o ous
ba s a e
p obably
a
combina ion
o
oppo unism
and
selec i e
p eda ion,
a ying
wi h
local condi ions
such
as
he
ela i e
abundance
o
di e en
kinds
o
insec
p ey (see
Whi ake
and
Black, 1976;
Fen on,
1975;
Fen on
e
aI.,
1977;
Kunz,
1974).
He e
we
p esen
da a
on
he
ood habi s
o
Mic onyc e is
megalo is
based
on
insec
agmen s
collec ed
om
unde
wo
nigh
oos s
used
solely
by
his
species.
Mic onyc e is
mega/o is,
one
o
he
smalles (ca. 7
g)
and
mos
common
species
in
his
genus,
occu s
in
a a ie y
o
habi a s
om
Mexico in o Sou h
Ame ica.
Li le is
known
abou
i s ood
habi s.
and
i
is
no clea om
he
li e a u e
i
he
species
eeds
mainly
on
ui
o
on
insec s
(Ga dne ,
1977).
Du ing
la e
1973
and
1974, we
classi ied
mo e
han 5,000
insec
a~'Illen s
collec ed
om
wo
nigh
oos s
a
Finca
La Sel a in
Cos a
Rica
(see
si e
desc ip ions
in
O ians,
1969;
Fleming,
1974;
and
LaVal
and
Fi ch, 1977).
Mos
o
he
agmen s
we e
ob ained
om
abou
3 m
inside
a hollow
log
o
1 m inside diame e ,
and
he
o he s
we e
swep
om
unde
a
bed
in
a
house.
To
.'-K:ili a e
collec ing
he
emains
in
he
log,
we
placed a
plas ic
shee
in
he
hollow
unde
he
nigh oos
and
emo ed
he agmen s om i . Collec ions
we e
made
in
la e
Sep embe
and
ea ly
Oc obe
(lumped),
mid-No embe ,
la e
Decembe
and
ea ly
Janua y
(lumped),
la e
Janua y,
mid-Feb ua y,
and
June.
Al hough
mos
o
he
agmen s
we e
wings and legs,
only
he
wings,
plus
a
ew
whole
bodies,
we e
coun ed.
The
pe cen ages
in
Fig. 1 and he
numbe s
in
Table
1
we e
ob ained
as ollows:
whe e
o ewings
and
hindwings
we e
ma ched and
iden i ied,
he
la ge
o
he
wo
coun s
was
used
(O hop e a,
Homop e a,
Hemip e a,
and
Coleop e a);
when
o ewings
and
hindwings
could
no
be
eliably
dis inguished
(Lepidop e a,
Odona a,
and
Hymenop e a),
he
igu es
we e
di ided
by
wo. In
o he
o de s,
he
o al numbe
o
wings
was
coun ed;
in
all
cases,
bodies
we e
coun ed
as
wo
wings.
Redundan
pieces,
such as
o hop e an
legs,
we e
no
included
in
he
numbe
o
agmen s
(>5,OOO)
gi en
p e iously; all
iden i ica ions
we e
made
o
he
le el
o
amily
whe e
possible.
A
ough
app oxima ion
o
numbe s
o
insec s
consumed
could
be
ob ained
by
di iding
in
hal
ali
wing
coun s
shown in
Table
1.
Howe e ,
ou
samples
con ained
nume ouS
unma ched
wings,
leading
us
o
belie e ha
he
ba s
d opped
some
insec
wings
be o e
a i ing
a
he
nigh
oos .
Downloaded om h ps://academic.oup.com/jmammal/a icle/61/2/327/903740 by gues on 09 Ma ch 2021
328
JOUR
NA
L OF MAM
MALOGY
Vol. 61, No .
.2
0'
.'"
al ~UI.'"
!. ::
~:
Col
..
,l li
NBIII
II
D
I,II
I
UlIIIII
lUiH,11J1
llm
O
..
,
.
..
.
~
N
••
,II,"
{I
i", 0
...
11.
M.
h l • •
ula
'00
..
..
!
~
n
..
,
~
~
n
"
..
i
~
~
~
~
..
"
•
...
•••
J~"
•
4-1
..
lI
....
,
........
oN
'
_.,.'
__
~
.. '
•••
ON-----+
.
..
' ....... QN
FIG. I.-Rela i e pe cen
ages
o
insec s o a ious o
de
s
cap u
ed by
Mi
c Ol1l/c
e
is megalo is
du ing
he
six sampling
pe
io
ds.
The
e ical
ba
on
he
l
e
gi es mean o e all
pe cen ages
o
eac
h
insec
o de du ing he en i e s
ud
y pe
i
od.
The
e
i
ca
l
ba
on
he
i
gh
is
ba
se
d
on
simila
da
a o M
ic onyc
le ;s
lii
s
u u
(Wil
so
n. 1971).
The
numbe s
o wings
likely
o
be
d opped
p obably
a y
a
mong
di e en o de s a
nd
amilies
o insec s.
Fo
example,
he
win
gs
o
small, delica e
in
sec s
(like many Dip e a)
may
be
con-
s
umed,
o may
all
o a
he
ins an
o cap u e,
whe eas
his
would a ely hap
pen
wi h
Coleop-
e a.
T
he
bia
s in odu
ced
by
wing
loss canno be
quan i ied
o
m ou da a
and
p obably
occu s
in
simila
da a
p esen
ed
in
he
li e a
u
e.
We
he e o e
belie e
i
is
bes
o es ic o
u
discussi
on
o
numbe s
o
wings.
Al hough
no
a oiding he
bia.~,
a
leas
we can compa e
numbe s
o
wings
in
his
s udy wi
h
numbe s
e
po
ed
in
simila
s udies.
Also,
o he
biases
mu.~
esul
om
s
pa
cing co
ll
ec ing
pe
iods
a
i
n e. a
ls o a mon h o
lon
ge
,
du
e
o
seasonal chan
ges
in
wea he ,
in
li
e
cycles
o
he ba s a
nd
h
ei
p ey
, a
nd
in el
eme
n
s o he Ao n and Jauna on wh i
ch
he
y
depend
.
Idea
ll
y,
a
gmen s
s
hou
ld
be
co
ll
ec ed dail
y.
We
al
so
ealize ha any i
nsec
la
ae
e
a e
n
would
lea
e
no agmen
eco d
unde
he
oos
.
Abou
10% o he 2,692
wings
abula ed
(Table
1)
we e
selec ed
andomly
and
measu ed
o
es
ima e
body
leng h (Fig. 2
).
Sizes
and
equencies
gi e
bu
an impe ec
im p
es.~
i
o
n
o
ela i e
TABLE
I.-M
on hly dis
i
b
u ion
among
o
de s
o
2,692
insec wings emo ed
om
wo
nigh
oos s
o
Mic onyc e is
mega
lo
is
a
La
Selua, Cos a Rica. See ex o de ails
o
abula ion.
T;u on
SCp(
.-
OcI. No
.
IA-c
.-
J
nl'l
.
I~
·
F "ll.
Ju
n"
O hop e a
13 105
ZOO
210
63
21
Lepidop e a
17
25
27
35 9 6
H
om
op e a
32
79
24
Z
21
Co
l
eop e
a 8 280
895
271
37
49
Odo
na a 4 8
28
11
7 2
Dip e
a 10
56 55
11
O he
o de s 1 2
42
18
8
To als
43
462 1.327
624
137
Downloaded om h ps://academic.oup.com/jmammal/a icle/61/2/327/903740 by gues on 09 Ma ch 2021
May
1980
Numbe s
o o
Wings
Measu ed
O hop e a
Lepidop e a
Homop e a
Coleop e a
Odona a
Dip e a
4
-10
GENERAL
NOTES
329
Wing
Size
Classes
in
mm
11-20
21-30
31-4041-58
37
0
320
25
0
905
FIG.
2.-Leng h
ca ego ies
o
wings
o
insec s
cap u ed
by
Mic onyc e is
megalo is
du ing
he
pe iod
Sep embe
1973
h ough
June
1974.
die a y
impo ance
o a ious
insec
o de s
o
he ba s.
Insec s
o equal leng h
may
a y
g ea ly
in
mass
( o example, a lO-mm
c ane ly
and
a lO-mm
sca ab
bee le),
and he e
may
be
signi ican
di e ences
in
nu i ional
alues
among
insec s o
equal
mass
bu
ep esen ing
di e en
o de s.
Coleop e a
ep esen ed
he
mos
equen
i ems in
he
die
du ing
he s udy
pe iod,
anging
om
19
o 67% (Fig.
1).
These
we e
mos ly small
bee les
o
he
amily
Sca abaeidae,
al hough
Cle idae
and
se e al
uniden i ied
amilies we e also
ep esen ed.
No
la ge
bee les
(>15
mm
ely a
leng h)
we e ound
(Fig.
2).
O hop e a
we e
he
se(:ond
mos
equen i ems
among
he
insec s
ep esen ed
in
he
die .
G asshoppe s
(Ac ididae),
cock oaches
(Bla idae),
c icke s
(G yllidae),
and
ka ydids
(Te igo-
niidae)
we e
all common ood
i ems.
Al hough a majo
i em
in all samples
( anging
om
15% o
46%)
ela i ely
ew
o hop e ans
we e
aken in
he
la e
we
season.
In
he d y
season,
howe e ,
hey
ep esen ed
nea ly
hal
he
die .
Thei
ac ual
con ibu ion
in
enus
o
biomass
p obably
was
g ea e
han
sugges ed
by
he
numhc s
o
wings ound.
No
o he
insec
o de was
ep esen ed
signi ican ly
in
all
samples. Minimum
equencies
o
o he
o de s
anged om 0.4
o
2.0%. Lepidop e a
accoun ed
o almos 40%
o
all
insec s
con-
sumed
in
he
Sep embe -Oc obe
sample,
bu we e
aken
in ela i ely small
numbe s
in
o he
mon hs.
Mo hs
ep esen ed
we e
mainly
noc uids,
bu
included
smalle
numbe s
o
Sphingidae,
Sahl niidae,
No odon idae,
and
U aniidae.
Remains
o
he
bu e ly amilies
Sa y idae
and
Nym-
phalidae
we e
also ound.
The
Homop e a, a signi ican
p ey
i em in June,
ollowed
he
Lepi-
dop e a
in
impo ance.
These
we e
mos ly hoppe s
(Memb acidae
and
Cicadellidae)
plus
a
ew
cicadas
(Cicadidae).
O de s
less
well
ep esen ed
included
he Dip e a,
which
we e
aken
mainly
du ing
he
la e
we
season
and
he d y
season,
and
he
Odona a (mos ly d agon ilies), which
we e
ep esen ed
in
small
numbe s
h oughou
he
s udy
pe iod.
The
Hymenop e a
(wing size
ange,
5-15
mm),
Hemip e a
(9-11 mm),
Epheme op e a
(5-14 mm),
T ichop e a
00-13
mm),
Mecop e a
(11-13
mm),
and
Neu op e a
(no
in ac
wings ound) we e
poo ly
ep esen ed
in
he
samples.
Mic onyc e is
megalo is is a slow- lying, highly
maneu e able,
oliage-gleaning
ba
capable
o
ho e ing
(obse ed in
his
s udy). Al hough
hei
ood
includes
lying
insec s
(mo hs
and
bee les),
o he
noch! nal
p ey
(Homop e a
and
O hop e a,
excep
g asshoppe s)
a e
usually
ound
pe ched
on ege a ion,
a he han
in ligh .
The
lies, d agon lies,
and
g asshoppe s
ea en
a e
mos ly
diu nal.
The
noc u nal
g oups accoun ed o
mos
o
he
emains
eco e ed
a
he
M.
megalo is
oos s. Mos
o hop e ans
a e noisy,
especially
when
calling,
and
bee les
a e
noisy
in
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330
JOURNAL
OF
MAMMALOGY
Vol.
61,
No.2
Righ .
The
ha s may
home
in
on
he
sounds
p oduced
by
hese
insec s, which
oge he
cons i u ed
o e
70%
o
hei die .
Un o una ely,
no seasonal
insec
abundance
da a a e
a ailable
o
La
Sel a.
Da a
collec ed
by
ligh - apping
in Panama
sugges
ha
ela i e
abundance
among
insec
g oups
can cycle in
he
cou se
o
a
yea
(Smy he, 1974).
We
suspec
ha M.
megaio is
is
pa ly
oppo unis ic,
and akes
ad an age
o
seasonally
abundan
insec
popula ions.
Howe e ,
i
M.
megalo is
and
he simila ,
bu
la ge ,
M. hi su a
we e
s ic ly
oppo unis ic,
one
migh
expec
ha
p opo ions
o
insec
o de s
in
hei
die
would
be
simila ,
e en
hough
he
smalle
species
migh
selec
smalle
insec s.
Based
on
da a
p esen ed
he ein
and
om
wilson
(1971)
we
no e
ha
his
is
no
he case
(Fig.
1).
Fu he mo e,
M.
hi su a
appa en ly
consumes
ui
du ing
he
d y
season; no emains
o
ui
we e
eco e ed
unde
M.
megaio is oos s,
e en
hough
ugi-
o ous
habi s ha e
been
epo ed
o
his
species
(Ga dne ,
1977). In
i s
p e e ence
o
bee les,
M. megaio is seems o
di e
om
mos
o he oliage-gleaning
ba s
(see
Ga dne ,
1977;
LaVal
and
LaVal, in p ess).
Unlike
M. hi .m a,
h ee
species
o
Nyc e is, and Mac o us cali o nicus (see
Wilson,
1971;
LaVal
and
LaVal, in p ess;
Ross,
1967), M."megalo is
seems
o
p e e
small,
ha d-bodied
insec s
(small
bee les)
as
opposed
o
la ge,
so ~bodied
insec s.
These
la ge insec s
(including
o hop-
e ans,
homop e ans,
and
lepidop e ans)
a e
p obably
aken
by
M.
megalo is
whene e
mo e
con enien ,
pe haps
when
popula ions
a e a seasonal
highs
o when popula ions
o
p e e ed
insec
p ey
(bee les) a e
a
seasonal
lows.
The
ood
habi s
o
M.
megalo is
may
also
e lec
compe i ion
wi h some o
all
o
he
o he
15
species
o phyllos oma ine
ba s wi h
which
i
occu s
sympa ically
a
La
Sel a.
We
hank
P.
A.
Ople
and
T.
L.
Zinn,
who assis ed
us
in
iden i ying he insec s; R.
Swain
and
S.
Klein eld ,
who
aided
us
by
collec ing
insec s a
he
nigh
oos in hei house; J.
Campabadal
and
he
s a l
o he
O ganiza ion
o T opical S udies
o
logis ical snppo ;
and
M.
B.
Fen on,
who
con ibu ed
nume ous
help ul
sugges ions on
an
ea lie
e sion o his epo .
Financial
suppo
was p o ided
by
NSF
G an
GB 25592 o H. S.
Fi ch.
LITERATURE
CITED
FENTON, M.
B.
1975.
Obse a ions
on
he bi-
ology
o
some
Rhodesian
ba s,
including
a
key
o
he
Chi op e a
o
Rhodesia.
Con ib.
Li e
Sci., Royal On a io
Mus.,
104:1-27.
FENTON, M.
B.,
N.
G. H. BOYLE,
T.
M.
HAR-
RISON,
AND
O.
J.
OXLEY.
1977.
Ac i i y pa -
e ns,
habi a
use,
and
p ey
selec ion
by
some
A ican inscc i o ous
ba s.
Bio opica,
9:73-85.
FLEMING,
T.
H. 1974.
The
popula ion
ecology
o
wo
species
o Cos a
Rican
he e omyid
o-
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