Food Habits of Myotis leibii during Fall Swarming in West Virginia
Abstract
The ecology of Myotis leibii (eastern small-footed myotis) remains largely unclear, including its foraging behavior. During fall, cavernicolous bats must accumulate enough fat reserves to sustain them during winter hibernation. We examined the food habits of eastern small-footed myotis captured at abandoned coal mines at New River Gorge National River in West Virginia during fall 2005. Based on fecal samples from 44 bats, we found that eastern small-footed myotis diets were diverse, containing 9 families within 7 orders of insects. Lepidoptera were consumed by all but one bat and represented the largest average percent volume among insect orders. This study elucidates an important component of the foraging ecology of this rare bat species.
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