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Simple Summary: As climate change intensifies, understanding the impact of environmental factors on bat activity becomes essential for their conservation. This study, centered in central Chile, utilizes data from automatic bat detectors and climatological stations to explore the effects of air temperature and relative humidity on the timing of activity and abundance of five bat species. Temperature exerts influence over the timing of activity and relative abundance, revealing species-specific responses. Relative humidity emerges as a significant factor affecting abundance, with drier nights exhibiting higher bat pass rates. These findings suggest that global warming has the potential to reshape bat behaviors, impacting foraging patterns and activity levels. Further studies are essential to provide deeper insights that can guide effective conservation efforts in the context of climate change. Insectivorous bats play a crucial role in agroecosystems by providing invaluable pest control services. With the escalating impacts of climate change, a comprehensive understanding of the environmental factors influencing bat activity becomes imperative for their conservation in agricultural landscapes. This study investigates the influence of weather conditions, specifically air temperature and relative humidity, on the timing activity and the relative abundance of five insectivorous bat species in central Chile. Data from automatic bat detectors and climatological stations are utilized for analysis. Our results unveil species-specific behaviors, with Tadarida brasiliensis exhibiting early emergence and extended activity periods compared to other bat species. Histiotus montanus and Lasiurus villosissimus display delayed onsets on more humid evenings, whereas Lasiurus varius and T. brasiliensis initiate activity earlier on colder nights compared to warmer ones. Relative humidity emerges as a key factor influencing relative abundance for all species, with more minutes with bat passes detected on drier nights. These findings suggest that global warming may influence observed bat behaviors, potentially altering foraging patterns and activity levels of these bat species. Moreover, as climate change continues, understanding the long-term impact on bat populations and their adaptive strategies is crucial for effective conservation measures. Further studies exploring these dynamics can provide valuable insights for shaping conservation efforts in the face of evolving environmental challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In larvae of burrowing mayflies (Ephemeroidea), mandibular tusks are generally associated with burrowing and/or feeding. This study reports, for the first time, the use of mandibular tusks as weapons in the aggressive behavior of the burrowing mayfly Rhoenanthus coreanus (Yoon and Bae, 1985) (Potamanthidae). The larvae used their tusks as weapons in combat behaviors such as tusking, which was observed in 60.81% and 62.98% of the studied males and females, respectively. Most cases involved combat by tusking between females (70.45%), followed by combat between males (21.60%), and combat between male and female individuals (3.97%). Aggressive behavior was more common in female larvae with longer mandibular tusks. Positive relationships were observed between the number of cases of aggressive behavior (i.e., tusking) and the size of mandibular tusks in both male and female larvae (p < 0.001). Female larvae with large mandibular tusks (5.00 ± 0.50 mm) could use their tusks to lift their opponents in a manner similar to horned beetles. Contests typically occurred as a result of territorial conflict and served as a means to find or retain occupied shelters for feeding and hiding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In this study, we performed DNA metabarcoding to examine prey composition and pest diversity in the diets of four insectivorous species of bats. Then, we evaluated the correlation between bat activity and insect resources and assessed dietary niche similarity and niche breadth among species and factors that influence prey consumption in bats. Additionally, we explored the functional response between these predators and their prey, understanding how bat feeding behavior adapts to the availability of different pest species. We proved that bats provide vital pest consumption services in agricultural ecosystems and their diet included arthropods from 23 orders and 200 families. Moreover, bats responded to the availability of insects. For example, a higher abundance of insects, especially Lepidoptera, and a higher insect diversity led to an increase in the duration of bat activity. In areas with more abundant insects, the number of bat passes also increased. Our results suggested that dietary niche differentiation promotes the coexistence of different bat species and increases the ability of bats to consume insect prey and agricultural pests. Our findings provide greater insights into the role of bats that prey on agricultural pests and highlight the importance of combining bat conservation with integrated pest management. Insectivorous bats are generalist predators and can flexibly respond to fluctuations in the distribution and abundance of insect prey. To better understand the effects of bats on arthropod pests, the types of pests eaten by bats and the response of bats to insect prey need to be determined. In this study, we performed DNA metabarcoding to examine prey composition and pest diversity in the diets of four insectivorous species of bats (Hipposideros armiger, Taphozous melanopogon, Aselliscus stoliczkanus, and Miniopterus fuliginosus). We evaluated the correlation between bat activity and insect resources and assessed dietary niche similarity and niche breadth among species and factors that influence prey consumption in bats. We found that the diets of these bats included arthropods from 23 orders and 200 families, dominated by Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, and Diptera. The proportion of agricultural pests in the diet of each of the four species of bats exceeded 40% and comprised 713 agricultural pests, including those that caused severe economic losses. Bats responded to the availability of insects. For example, a higher abundance of insects, especially Lepidoptera, and a higher insect diversity led to an increase in the duration of bat activity. In areas with more abundant insects, the number of bat passes also increased. The dietary composition, diversity, and niches differed among species and were particularly significant between H. armiger and T. melanopogon; the dietary niche width was the greatest in A. stoliczkanus and the narrowest in H. armiger. The diet of bats was correlated with their morphological and echolocation traits. Larger bats preyed more on insects in the order Coleoptera, whereas the proportion of bats consuming insects in the order Lepidoptera increased as the body size decreased. Bats that emitted echolocation calls with a high peak frequency and duration preyed more on insects in the order Mantodea. Our results suggest that dietary niche differentiation promotes the coexistence of different bat species and increases the ability of bats to consume insect prey and agricultural pests. Our findings provide greater insights into the role of bats that prey on agricultural pests and highlight the importance of combining bat conservation with integrated pest management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bat population estimates are typically made during winter, although this is only feasible for bats that aggregate in hibernacula. While it is essential to measure summer bat population sizes for management, we lack a reliable method. Acoustic surveys should be less expensive and more efficient than capture surveys, and acoustic activity data are already used as indices of population size. Although we currently cannot differentiate individual bats by their calls, we can enter call counts, information on signal and detection angles, and weather data into generalized random encounter models to estimate bat density. We assessed the utility of generalized random encounter models for estimating Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) population density with acoustic data collected at 51 total sites in six conservation areas in northeast Missouri, 2019–2021. We tested the effects of year, volancy period, conservation area, and their interactions on estimated density. Volancy period was the best predictor, with average predicted density increasing 60% from pre‐volancy (46 bats/km2) to post‐volancy (74 bats/km2); however, the magnitude of the effect differed by conservation area. We showed that passive acoustic surveys yield informative density estimates that are responsive to temporal changes in bat population size, which suggests this method may be useful for long‐term monitoring. However, we need more information to choose the most appropriate values for the density estimation formula. Future work to refine this approach should include assessments of bat behavior and detection parameters and testing the method's efficacy in areas where population sizes are known. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worldwide, artificial bat roosts (e.g., bat boxes, bark mimics, bat condos) are routinely deployed for conservation, mitigation, and community engagement. However, scant attention has been paid to developing best practices for the use of artificial roosts as conservation tools. Although bats readily occupy artificial roosts, occupancy and abundance data are misleading indicators of habitat quality. Lacking information on bat behavior, health, and fitness in artificial roosts, their conservation efficacy cannot be adequately validated. We considered the proximal and ultimate factors, such as evolutionarily reliable cues, that may prompt bats to preferentially use and show fidelity to suboptimal artificial roosts even when high‐quality alternatives are available. Possible negative health and fitness consequences for artificial roost inhabitants include exposure to unstable and extreme microclimates in poorly designed roosts, and vulnerability to larger numbers of ectoparasites in longer lasting artificial roosts that house larger bat colonies than in natural roosts. Bats using artificial roosts may have lower survival rates if predators have easy access to roosts placed in conspicuous locations. Bats may be lured into occupying low‐quality habitats if attractive artificial roosts are deployed on polluted urban and agricultural landscapes. To advance the science behind artificial bat roosts, we present testable research hypotheses and suggestions to improve the quality of artificial roosts for bats and decrease risks to occupants. Because continued loss of natural roosts may increase reliance on alternatives, such as artificial roosts, it is imperative that this conservation practice be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bats frequently inhabit caves and other subterranean habitats and play a critical role in subterranean food webs. With escalating threats to subterranean ecosystems, identifying the most effective measures to protect subterranean‐roosting bats is critical. We conducted a meta‐analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of conservation and management interventions for subterranean‐roosting bats. We used network analyses to determine to what extent interventions for bats overlap those used for other subterranean taxa. We conducted our analyses with data extracted from 345 papers recommending a total of 910 conservation interventions. Gating of roost entrances was applied to preserve bat populations in 21 studies, but its effectiveness was unclear. Habitat restoration and disturbance reduction positively affected bat populations and bat behavior, respectively, in ≤4 studies. Decontamination was assessed in 2 studies and positively affected bat populations, particularly in studies focused on reducing fungal spores associated with white‐nose syndrome in North America. Monitoring of bat populations as an effective conservation strategy was unclear and infrequently tested. Only 4% of bat studies simultaneously considered other subterranean organisms. However, effective interventions for bat conservation had similarities with all other organisms. If other subterranean organisms are considered when applying interventions to conserve bats, they might also benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BAT algorithm is a nature-inspired metaheuristic algorithm that depends on the principle of the echolocation behavior of bats. However, due to poor exploration, the algorithm suffers from being stuck in the local optima. An improved BAT algorithm based on the density-based clustering technique is proposed to enhance the algorithm's performance. In this paper, the initial population is improved by generating two populations, randomly and depending on the clusters' center information, and by getting the fittest individuals from these two populations, the initial improved one is generated. The random walk function is improved using chaotic maps instead of the fixed-size movement, so the local search is improved, as well as the global search abilities, by diversifying the solutions. Another improvement is dealing with stagnation by partitioning the search space into two parts depending on the generated clusters' information to obtain the newly generated solution, comparing their quality with the previously generated solution, and choosing the best. The performance of the proposed improved BAT algorithm is evaluated by comparing it with the original BAT algorithm over ten benchmark optimization test functions. Depending on the results, the improved BAT outperforms the original BAT by obtaining the optimal global solutions for most of the benchmark test functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the main functions of behavioral plasticity lies in the ability to contend with dynamic environments. Indeed, while numerous studies have shown that animals adapt their behavior to the environment, how they adapt their latent learning and decision strategies to changes in the environment is less understood. Here, we used a controlled experiment to examine the bats' ability to adjust their decision strategy according to the environmental dynamics. Twenty-five Egyptian fruit bats were placed individually in either a stable or a volatile environment for four consecutive nights. In the stable environment, two feeders offered food, each with a different reward probability (0.2 vs. 0.8) that remained fixed over two nights and were then switched, while in the volatile environment, the positions of the more and the less rewarding feeders were changed every hour. We then fit two alternative commonly used models namely, reinforcement learning and win-stay-lose-shift strategies to the bats' behavior. We found that while the bats adapted their decision-making strategy to the environmental dynamics, they seemed to be limited in their responses based on natural priors. Namely, when the environment had changed slowly, at a rate that is natural for these bats, they seemed to rely on reinforcement learning and their performance was nearly optimal, but when the experimental environment changed much faster than in the natural environment, the bats stopped learning and switched to a random decision-making strategy. Together, these findings exemplify both the bats' decision-making plasticity as well as its natural limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hibernacula used for overwintering by federally endangered Myotis sodalis (Indiana Bat) in Arkansas are well documented and biennially monitored, but little is known about this population's migration paths and summer habitat. Revealing spring migratory behaviors and maternity colony locations of female Indiana Bats informs conservation and management efforts and contributes to our understanding of the species across its range. Radio telemetry has been used to document the behaviors of many bat species and, recently, aerial-based tracking methods have increased our understanding of the migratory habits of female Indiana Bats. During the spring migration periods of 2018-2021, we used aerialand ground-based telemetry methods to follow female Indiana Bats as they commenced migration from Arkansas caves. Bats migrated north into Missouri, east and south across Arkansas, and southwest into Oklahoma. We located and confirmed a previously unknown maternity colony and documented a southerly range expansion for the species in Arkansas. We also tracked an individual bat to Oklahoma, representing the first confirmed summer use by female Indiana Bats in Oklahoma. Bats used 9 different tree species that we categorized as staging, migration, layover, or arrival roosts. The results of this study provide valuable regional information for the southwestern periphery of the species' range and facilitates conservation and management decisions made by natural resource agencies across the state of Arkansas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mike and Theda primarily resided in Las Vegas, NV, while raising their three children, Shannon, Caoimhín, and Erin. Mike O'Farrell and Bruce Miller beginning a night of recording bats on the Sarstoon River, January 1999 during the Scientific American Expedition, where they confirmed the vocal signature of the Ghost Bat (Diclidurus albus) in Belize. Through trial and error, Mike perfected his technique for slow cooking what was essentially a restaurant-quality hot meal, seamlessly timed for return of the crew from setting traps in the late afternoon. Google Scholar Google Preview OpenURL Placeholder Text WorldCat COPAC 5 O'Farrell M.J., Clark W.A., Emmerson F.H., Juarez S.M., Kay F.R., O'Farrell T.M., Goodlett T.Y. 1994. [Extracted from the article]

Wind turbines pose a serious threat to bat populations, with hundreds of thousands of fatal collisions per year in the USA and Canada alone. This is concerning because bats are long-lived and slow to reproduce, making recovery from population declines difficult. Studies have shown that bats are attracted to turbines, and the lack of research on bat and wind turbine interactions in Australia limits our understanding of the impacts on bat populations. Curtailment, which restricts blade rotation at low wind speeds when bats are active, has been shown to be the most successful method of reducing collisions globally. Economically, losses from curtailment range from 1% to 4% of annual revenue in the northern hemisphere, while in Australia, the reduction is less than 0.1%. By incorporating site-specific weather and bat activity data, both economic and ecological losses can be further minimized. It is important to incorporate impacts into the planning stages of wind farm development and implement curtailment in Australia to prevent irreversible population declines. [Extracted from the article]

Reproductive bats switch frequently among roosts to select the most advantageous microclimates and avoid predation or parasitism. Many bats use human-made structures, such as bat boxes and buildings, in areas where natural structures are less abundant. Artificial structures, which may be warmer and larger than natural structures, may affect bat behavior and roost use. We studied Yuma Myotis (Myotis yumanensis) and Little Brown Myotis (M. lucifugus) in artificial structures at two sites to understand how roost conditions and reproductive pressures influenced roost switching in maternity colonies in the lower mainland of British Columbia, Canada. During summer 2019, we used Passive Integrated Technology (PIT tags and scanners) to track daily roosting locations of individuals. Yuma myotis and little brown myotis used at least five roosts at each site and switched almost daily among roosts. Bats were less likely to switch from roosts that were 25–42°C and switch roosts during lactation, particularly when the young were nonvolant. Our findings suggest that reproductive female myotis that use artificial roosts seek out warm roosts to limit energy expenditure and speed up offspring development. We also found that bats boxes were not thermally stable environments and the behavior of bats reflected temperature variability. Land managers should ensure that multiple nearby roosts are available to maternity colonies, as reproductive bats require a range of temperatures and roost types during summer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More strikingly, for common nighthawks, "outside of urban areas, where artificial light levels don't get that high, even a small increase in artificial light corresponded to a 55% decline in the number of nesting nighthawks", says Adams. "Bats don't perceive red light as intense as the blue light", says Spoelstra, due to their eye sensitivity. In a 2021 review for I Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution i , Spoelstra, Longcore, and nine others summarized 11 of the pressing research questions: How do we harmonize light measurement methods across disciplines? The sun has long set as we descend from the benchlands, a low ridge paralleling Jasper, the picturesque town clinging to a straightaway of railway tracks against a backdrop of jagged Rocky Mountain peaks. [Extracted from the article]

Bat species and their populations are declining globally due to a variety of anthropogenic activities. Human activities, motivated by negative attitudes toward, perceptions of, and poor knowledge and appreciation of these animals, have a major effect on their conservation. Thus, it is important to improve our understanding of bat–human interactions to help design appropriate bat conservation measures. We investigated human–bat interactions in a sample (n = 423) of people living around the Omo Forest Reserve and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in Southwestern Nigeria. People who considered themselves more vulnerable to disease transmission from bats held more negative perceptions of and beliefs about bats. A major finding in this study suggests that respondents' perceived vulnerability to diseases from bats did not correlate with destructive behaviors toward bats. Participants with a low level of education intentionally killed more bats than those with a higher level of education. The majority of the participants did not appreciate the role of bats in ecosystems and had a poor understanding of bats' niche in nature and the resulting benefits for humans. We suggest that positive messages that neutralize superstition and myths and highlight the role of bats in ecosystems are urgently needed. They could lead to behavioral changes that benefit bats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to assess the consequences of climate change and evaluate its impacts on wildlife, it is essential to do so on a species‐specific level. It is assumed that changes in the ambient temperature influence energy consumption as well as food availability and thus foraging behavior, reproduction, survival, and therefore population dynamics in bats. Based on this assumption, the present study aims to gain insights into the roosting and breeding behavior of the greater mouse‐eared bat (Myotis myotis) in relation to changes of the ambient temperature. For this purpose, we investigated the effect of ambient temperature on the phenology of the greater mouse‐eared bat by using activity data of the bats collected using light barriers at the maternity roosts. The light barrier used in this study is a system that detects the interruption of two light beams, for example, by a flying bat, and displays it as an electrical signal. The investigations have shown that the higher the winter temperatures, the earlier the greater mouse‐eared bats returned to the roosts to form the maternity colony; however, this was only true for ambient temperatures below 0.5°C,birth season started earlier at higher spring temperatures,the dissolution of maternity roosts occurred earlier with earlier birth season and at higher ambient temperatures during lactation. The results revealed that ambient temperature has an influence on the phenology of the greater mouse‐eared bat. Depending on the respective life history stage, an increase in ambient temperature can have a positive or negative effect on the fitness of the animals. In recent years, mild winters have been recorded more frequently, which can have an influence on the behavior of bats. Warm winters within certain limits seem to lead to an earlier formation of the maternity colony, which can be positive or negative for the bats depending on persistent weather conditions and thus insect availability. In the course of climate change, we can also expect earlier spring events and an increase in spring temperature, as well as hot spells in summer. These warm springs and summers seem to lead to an earlier beginning of births, a faster development of the juveniles and an earlier dissolution of the maternity roost. An advance of reproductive activities can be assumed to increase the chance to survive the following winter in both mothers and their young, as they have more time to build up sufficient energy reserves for hibernation before winter starts. Due to the climatic changes, phenological changes of the bats be expected. This study highlights that in order to understand the impact of climate change on biodiversity, it is necessary to investigate in detail effects on a species‐specific level and also to consider direct and indirect effects of ambient temperature on different life history stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bat optimizing algorithm (BOA) is one of the metaheuristic algorithms and applied here to interpret self-potential (SP) data. The BOA is depending upon a bat echolocation behavior for global optimization, which the global optimum solution reached at the suggested minimum value of the objective function. The best interpretive source parameters for the subsurface structures occurred at the minimal the objective function value (global best solution). The BOA is applied to 2D SP anomaly data to estimate the characteristic source parameters (i.e., the depth to center, amplitude coefficient, origin location, geometric shape factor, and polarization and inclination angle of the causative buried structure). The BOA can be applied to single and multiple source structures in the restricted class of simple geometric shapes, which these bodies help in the validation of the subsurface ore and mineral targets. The stability and efficiency of the proposed BOA have been examined by several synthetic examples. In addition, three different real field examples from Germany and Indonesia have been successfully applied to ore and mineral investigation and geological structure studies. In general, the achieved results are in good agreement with the available borehole data and results mentioned in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bird pollination, Balanophoraceae, facilitation, opossum pollination, chiropterophily Keywords: Balanophoraceae; bird pollination; chiropterophily; facilitation; opossum pollination EN Balanophoraceae bird pollination chiropterophily facilitation opossum pollination 1 6 6 03/06/23 20230301 NES 230301 The pollination syndrome hypothesis has been stimulating a long-standing debate on the plausibility of predicting the most effective and frequent pollinators of a given species from its floral traits (see Ollerton, [14]). Opossums and birds facilitate the unexpected bat visitation to the ground-flowering Scybaliumfungiforme Therefore, opossums and ruby-crowned tanagers facilitated a way in which other floral visitors could feast on I S. fungiforme i nectar and pollen, including the unexpected visits of bats to this ground-flowering plant. [Extracted from the article]

On the other hand, substrate-gleaning bats utilize a combination of echolocation, perhaps vision, and very often prey-generated sounds to detect, localize, and take prey from the ground, foliage, and other terrestrial surfaces (Norberg & Rayner, [29]; Razak, [34]). Keywords: aerial hawking bats; echolocation; insectivore; opportunistic behavior; quadruped locomotion; sensory mechanisms EN aerial hawking bats echolocation insectivore opportunistic behavior quadruped locomotion sensory mechanisms 1 6 6 01/04/23 20230101 NES 230101 Insects are the primary food of most bats, and insect-eating bats display a variety of foraging strategies molded by different sets of selective pressures on morphology, echolocation, vision, and nervous system to optimize prey capture in different habitats (Norberg & Rayner, [29]; Razak, [34]). Although some bats can switch their foraging strategies, and thereby exploit more than one foraging niche (Daniel, [14], [15]; Faure & Barclay, [17]; Ratcliffe & Dawson, [32]), reliable records of morphologically specialized aerial hawking bats adopting alternative foraging strategies in natural conditions are rare. [Extracted from the article]

Diverse animal taxa are capable of rapidly modifying vocalizations to mitigate interference from environmental noise. Echolocating bats, for example, must frequently perform sonar tasks in the presence of interfering sounds. Numerous studies have documented sound production flexibility in echolocating bats; however, it remains unknown whether noise-induced vocal modifications (NIVMs) mitigate interference effects on echoes or calls. In this study, we leverage echo level compensation behavior of echolocating bats to answer this question. Using a microphone array, we recorded echolocation calls of Hipposideros pratti trained to approach and land on a perch in the laboratory under quiet and noise conditions. We found that H. pratti exhibited echo level compensation behavior during approaching flights, which depended critically on distance to the landing perch. Broadcast noise delayed and affected the rate of echo level compensation in H. pratti. Moreover, H. pratti increased vocalization amplitude, i.e., exhibited the Lombard effect, while also adjusting call duration and bandwidth with increasing noise levels. Quantitative analyses of the data show that H. pratti relies on echo feedback, not vocal feedback, to adjust signals in the presence of noise. These findings provide compelling evidence that NIVMs in echolocating animals and non-echolocating animals operate through different mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pseudogymnoascus destructans is a fungal pathogen responsible for a deadly disease among North American bats known as white-nose syndrome (WNS). Since detection of WNS in the United States in 2006, its rapid spread and high mortality has challenged development of treatment and prevention methods, a significant objective for wildlife management agencies. In an effort to mitigate precipitous declines in bat populations due to WNS, we have developed and implemented a multi-year mitigation strategy at Black Diamond Tunnel (BDT), Georgia, singly known as one of the most substantial winter colony sites for tricolored bats (Perimyotis subflavus), with pre-WNS abundance exceeding 5000 individuals. Our mitigation approach involved in situ treatment of bats at the colony level through aerosol distribution of antifungal volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that demonstrated an in vitro ability to inhibit P. destructans conidia germination and mycelial growth through contact-independent exposure. The VOCs evaluated have been identified from microbes inhabiting naturally-occurring fungistatic soils and endophytic fungi. These VOCs are of low toxicity to mammals and have been observed to elicit antagonism of P. destructans at low gaseous concentrations. Cumulatively, our observations resolved no detrimental impact on bat behavior or health, yet indicated a potential for attenuation of WNS related declines at BDT and demonstrated the feasibility of this novel disease management approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this manuscript, a novel control scheme is proposed to achieve the power quality (PQ) enhancement of renewable energy sources (RES), such as photovoltaic (PV), wind turbine (WT), fuel cell (FC), and battery. The proposed hybrid technique is the consolidation of both the Improved Bat Algorithm (IBat) and Moth Flame Optimization Algorithm (MFOA), therefore it is known as Improved Bat search Algorithm with Moth Flame Optimization Algorithm (IBatMFOA) control strategy. The crossover and mutation function is utilized to modify the bats search behavior function. Here, MFOA is utilized to enhance the searching behavior of IBat technique by reducing the error function. The main goal of proposed IBatMFOA approach is "to enhance the PQ depending on active with reactive power varience." To attain the target, MFOA is optimized to lessen the power variation. Moreover, the functioning cost of RESs is diminished based on daily with weekly data forecast, like grid electricity price, electrical load, environmental parameters. By using IBatMFOA technique, the entire system efficiency is enhanced. By then, the proposed method is activated in MATLAB site, then the performance is examined with existing methods, like artificial bee colony, Gravitational Search Algorithm, and Firefly algorithm. The active power controller parameters of proposed technique are 8.8554 and 1.8569. The reactive power controller parameters of proposed technique are 8.1657 and 1.5698. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The recognition and delineation of morphologically indistinguishable cryptic species can have broad implications for wildlife conservation, disease ecology and accurate estimates of biodiversity. Parasites are intriguing in the study of cryptic speciation because unique evolutionary pressures and diversifying factors are generated by ecological characteristics of host-parasite relationships, including host specificity. Bat flies (Diptera: Nycteribiidae and Streblidae) are obligate, hematophagous ectoparasites of bats that generally exhibit high host specificity. One rare exception is Penicillidia fulvida (Diptera: Nycteribiidae), an African bat fly found in association with many phylogenetically distant hosts. One explanation for P. fulvida's extreme polyxeny is that it may represent a complex of host-specific yet cryptic species, an increasingly common finding in molecular genetic studies of supposed generalist parasites. Methods: A total of 65 P. fulvida specimens were collected at 14 localities across Kenya, from bat species representing six bat families. Mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) and nuclear 28S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequences were obtained from 59 specimens and used to construct Bayesian and maximum likelihood phylogenies. Analysis of molecular variance was used to determine how genetic variation in P. fulvida was allocated among host taxa. Results: The 28S rRNA sequences studied were invariant within P. fulvida. Some genetic structure was present in the COI sequence data, but this could be more parsimoniously explained by geography than host family. Conclusions: Our results support the status of P. fulvida as a rare example of a single bat fly species with primary host associations spanning multiple bat families. Gene flow among P. fulvida utilizing different host species may be promoted by polyspecific roosting behavior in bats, and host preference may also be malleable based on bat assemblages occupying shared roosts. The proclivity of generalist parasites to switch hosts makes them more likely to vector or opportunistically transmit pathogens across host species boundaries. Consequently, the presence of polyxenous bat flies is an important consideration to disease ecology as bat flies become increasingly known to be associated with bat pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A strong bidirectional link between metabolic and psychiatric disorders exists; yet, the molecular basis underlying this inter- action remains unresolved. Here we explored the role of the brown adipose tissue (BAT) as modulatory interface, focusing on the involvement of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP-1), a key metabolic regulator highly expressed in BAT, in the control of emo- tional behavior. Male and female constitutive UCP-1 knock-out (KO) mice were used to investigate the consequences of UCP- 1 deficiency on anxiety-related and depression-related behaviors under mild thermogenic (23°C) and thermoneutral (29°C) conditions. UCP-1 KO mice displayed a selective enhancement of anxiety-related behavior exclusively under thermogenic con- ditions, but not at thermoneutrality. Neural and endocrine stress mediators were not affected in UCP-1 KO mice, which showed an activation of the integrated stress response alongside enhanced fibroblast-growth factor-21 (FGF-21) levels. However, viral-mediated overexpression of FGF-21 did not phenocopy the behavioral alterations of UCP-1 KO mice and blocking FGF-21 activity did not rescue the anxiogenic phenotype of UCP-1 KO mice. No effects of surgical removal of the intrascapular BAT on anxiety-like behavior or FGF-21 levels were observed in either UCP-1 KO or WT mice. We provide evi- dence for a novel role of UCP-1 in the regulation of emotions that manifests as inhibitory constraint on anxiety-related behavior, exclusively under thermogenic conditions. We propose this function of UCP-1 to be independent of its activity in the BAT and likely mediated through a central role of UCP-1 in brain regions with converging involvement in energy and emotional control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bats perceive the three-dimensional environment by emitting ultrasound pulses from their nose or mouth and receiving echoes through both ears. To determine the position of a target object, it is necessary to know the distance and direction of the target. Certain bat species that use a combined signal of long constant frequency and short frequency modulated ultrasounds synchronize their pinnae movement with pulse emission, and this behavior has been regarded as helpful for localizing the elevation angle of a reflective sound source. However, the significance of bats' ear motions remains unclear. In this study, we construct a model of an active listening system including the motion of the ears, and conduct mathematical investigations to clarify the importance of ear motion in direction detection of the reflective sound source. In the simulations, direction detection under rigid ear movements with interaural level differences was mathematically investigated by assuming that bats accomplish direction detection using the amplitude modulation in the echoes caused by ear movements. In particular, the ear motion conditions required for direction detection are theoretically investigated through exhaustive simulations of the pseudo-motion of the ears, rather than simulations of the actual ear motions of bats. The theory suggests that only certain ear motions, namely three-axis rotation, allow for accurate and robust direction detection. Our theoretical analysis also strongly supports the behavior whereby bats move their pinnae in the antiphase mode. In addition, we suggest that simple shaped hearing directionality and well-selected uncomplicated ear motions are sufficient to achieve precise and robust direction detection. Our findings and mathematical approach have the potential to be used in the design of active sensing systems in various engineering fields. Author summary: Many mammals use visual sensing for the primary perception of their surroundings, whereas bats accomplish spatial perception by active acoustic sensing. In particular, by emitting ultrasound pulses and listening to the echoes, bats localize reflective objects, a process known as echolocation. Certain bat species move both of their ears while receiving the echoes, but the precise type of ear movements that facilitate direction detection remains unclear. In particular, although ear movements have been investigated through practical demonstration or simulations based on actual behavioral measurements, there has been little theoretical consideration of the kinematic requirements for amplifying spatial information based on an objective viewpoint. This paper describes a simple mathematical model for investigating the active listening strategy employed by bats. The theory suggests that certain ear motions might enable highly accurate direction detection that is robust to observation errors. In addition, we determine what kind of ear motions are optimal for direction detection of reflective sound sources. This study not only theoretically supports the significance of pinnae motion in bats, but also opens up the possibility of engineering applications for active listening systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1 and 2, 91 Winther R. G., Our Genes: A Philosophical Perspective on Human Evolutionary Genomics, 103 Yong E., An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us, 106 Cellular and Molecular Approaches in Fish Biology, 109 Morizot B., Ways of Being Alive, transl. by A. Brown, 89 Mosquitoes of the World, by R. C. Wilkerson et al., Vols. [Extracted from the article]

Bat abundance, diversity, and behavior can be monitored by capturing bats for identification and measurement in the hand, but this has several disadvantages. These include disturbance to the bats, which limits the frequency with which captures can be made at an individual capture site, and potentially alters the behaviors being studied. Infrared video monitoring, passive acoustic recording and automated analysis and identification of bat calls offers an alternative set of noninvasive methods for monitoring bats. In this study, we examine the effectiveness of acoustic monitoring in comparison with capture‐based and video monitoring of seasonal swarming behavior among several species of Myotis bats in southern Britain. We applied these complementary approaches to describe seasonal, overnight, and species‐specific variation in swarming behavior in a multispecies community of Myotis bats. We show that the three monitoring approaches have advantages and disadvantages for different tasks, but can be viewed as highly complementary methods for addressing different types of research questions. In our study of swarming behavior, capture and examination of bats in the hand was necessary for measuring sex ratios, reproductive status, and even for confirmation of species identification for some difficult to separate taxa. Capture is also an essential aspect of tagging bats for individual identification and tracking studies. Video monitoring is useful for understanding the behavior of bats at swarming sites, and measuring the flux of individuals into and out of roosting or swarming sites. Passive acoustic monitoring is a valuable noninvasive method for continuous monitoring of within‐night, seasonal, and between‐year variation in the abundance of bat calls. These can be used as an index of variation in relative abundance within—but not between—bat species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animals are expected to adjust their behavioral patterns to improve fitness outcomes, such as fecundity or offspring survival. For long‐lived hibernators, decisions made in each annual cycle may reflect considerations not just for concurrent survival and reproduction but also the pressure to maximize overwinter survival and future reproductive success. We examined how these elements manifest themselves in the body mass variation patterns of North American northern latitude temperate bats, whose size and roosting habits present considerable monitoring challenges. We characterized and compared the summer and fall mass variation patterns of little brown myotis (Myotis lucifugus) and northern myotis (M. septentrionalis) from a historic dataset. In summer, the estimated date of parturition was strongly associated with spring foraging conditions (low wind, low precipitation, and warm temperatures), and mass gain associated with female reproduction conferred considerable differentiation between the mass variation patterns of females and males. In fall, differences were most apparent among species, although adults exhibited a greater capacity for rapid mass gain than juveniles. These results demonstrate how reproductive constraints and interannual survival have important influences on the behavior of temperate bats. Future work should seek to quantify the fitness benefits of patterns identified in this study, such as the rate of prehibernation mass gain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A bat algorithm (BA) is a heuristic algorithm that operates by imitating the echolocation behavior of bats to perform global optimization, which has fast convergence, a simple structure, and strong search ability. One of the issues in the standard bat algorithm is the premature convergence that can occur due to the low exploration ability of the algorithm under some conditions. To overcome this problem, the paper proposes a hybrid approach to improving its local search mechanism. The local search strategy of curve decreasing and speed weight is introduced to the standard bat algorithm to enhance its exploration and exploitation capabilities. The performance of the improved bat algorithm has better global optimization ability and higher convergence accuracy than the standard bat algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a migratory, cryptic, foliage-roosting bat with a mostly solitary roosting behavior we have an incomplete understanding of the social behavior of the hoary bat, Lasiurus cinereus. In this species most social interactions between conspecifics are thought to involve mating behavior or territorial disputes. Developing a more complete understanding of the social behavior of this species would provide critical insight to address conservation challenges including high fatality rates from wind turbines during the period of fall migration. We tested the response of hoary bats to conspecific social call playback during the spring and fall migration to: (1) test whether conspecific social call broadcasting attracts or repels individual bats; (2) examine whether there are seasonal differences in these responses; (3) describe the structure and variation of recorded social calls; and (4) test whether conspecific social call playback can increase capture success. Hoary bats were attracted to social call broadcasting during both the spring and fall migration. Hoary bats produced social calls during the spring and fall migration, and when only males were present, suggesting a social function not associated with mating. While calls were variable in frequency and length, social calls tended to be a consistent upsloping shape. Attraction to social calls suggests social interactions not associated with mating behavior in hoary bats, and this technique proved successful as an acoustic lure to aid in capture and study of this elusive species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bats provide a number of ecosystem services in agricultural areas, including the predation of night-flying insects, for which they are estimated to save agricultural industries billions of dollars per year. Intensive agriculture has many negative effects on biodiversity, and it is important to understand how wildlife exploit available habitats to allow persistence in these human-modified landscapes. To better evaluate the effectiveness of bats' pest-controlling services, and to increase understanding of bat foraging behavior in these historically open grassland landscapes, we estimated bat activity and insect abundance in and around crop fields in southeast Nebraska, USA. Specifically, we used a novel acoustic grid sampling approach to document and visualize spatiotemporal activity patterns by different bat species over agricultural fields and forested habitat along crop field edges. Bat activity was highest in areas with the most forested edge habitat, and sites with more trees and water typically had more species present. Bat species and activity was low in isolated forest fragments and sites with minimal habitat edges, but overall insect volume did not decline away from field edges, suggesting that ecosystem services provided by bats likely diminish not because of a decline in resource availability, but because of the lack of structure. Woodland interfaces are important habitats for bats, and the invasion of grasslands by woody species in the Great Plains has increased available bat habitat, and therefore services provided by bats, but with a cost to grasslands and the ecological services they provide. However, although bats are clearly important insect predators that benefit agricultural activities, our ability to quantify the ecosystem services they provide will be greatly improved with a more nuanced understanding of how their activity varies relative to habitat structure and scale within the landscapes where these services are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bats have been considered non-sexually dimorphic in most species due to the lack of conspicuous body size differences between sexes, but other traits may offer unequivocal evidence of sexual dimorphism and can likely play critical roles in reproduction. Almost 150 years ago, an unusual fleshy structure on the chest was discovered in an adult male little white-shouldered bat, Ametrida centurio, specimen stored in the collection of the British Museum (London). In addition to sexual differences in body size in this species, males also had swollen pads below their eyes. Here we show that there are other important sexually dimorphic traits that previously were not found in museum specimens, reinforcing how important complementary observations of live animals are for discovering traits that have been unnoticed for centuries. We report two new, unusual, presumably—but still not confirmed—glandular structures in male A. centurio, hereafter referred to as axillary and genital traits. The axillary structure is a hairless, reddened and moist area located beneath each wing, observed when wings are elevated. The genital structure surrounds the penis and coats the scrotal area and adjacent fur with a thick secretion. Combined, observations of these sexually dimorphic traits, and the larger size of females compared to males, makes A. centurio a species with five sexually dimorphic characters. The nature, development, function, and variation of these male traits remain unknown. Future field studies should focus on careful observation of bat behavior to shed light on the function of these intriguing traits, and give us a better understanding of sexual selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Echolocating bats use echo information to perceive space, control their behavior, and adjust flight navigation strategies in various environments. However, the echolocation behavior of bats, including echo information, has not been thoroughly investigated as it is technically difficult to measure all the echoes that reach the bats during flight, even with the conventional telemetry microphones currently in use. Therefore, we attempted to reproduce the echoes received at the location of bats during flight by combining acoustic simulation and behavioral experiments with acoustic measurements. By using acoustic simulation, echoes can be reproduced as temporal waveforms (including diffracted waves and multiple reflections), and detailed echo analysis is possible even in complex obstacle environments. Results: We visualized the spatiotemporal changes in the echo incidence points detected by bats during flight, which enabled us to investigate the "echo space" revealed through echolocation for the first time. We then hypothesized that by observing the differences in the "echo space" before and after spatial learning, the bats' attentional position would change. To test this hypothesis, we examined how the distribution of visualized echoes concentrated at the obstacle edges after the bats became more familiar with their environment. The echo incidence points appeared near the edge even when the pulse direction was not toward the edge. Furthermore, it was found that the echo direction correlated with the turn rate of the bat's flight path, revealing for the first time the relationship between the echo direction and the bat's flight path. Conclusions: We were able to clarify for the first time how echoes space affects echolocation behavior in bats by combining acoustic simulations and behavioral experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Software Product Lines (SPLs) are one of the ways to develop software products by increasing productivity and reducing cost and time in the software development process. In SPLs, each product has many features and it is necessary to consider the optimal and custom features of the products. In fact, selecting key features in SPLs is a challenging process. Feature selection in SPLs is an optimization problem and an NP-Hard problem. One way to select a feature is to use meta-heuristic algorithms modeled on nature, i.e., Bat Algorithm. By modeling bat behavior in prey hunting, a suitable meta-innovative algorithm is considered. This algorithm has important advantages that make it more accurate than conventional methods such as Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm. In this paper, to select software product features, idol binary algorithm and artificial neural network are used to identify important features of software products that reduce production costs and time. The experiments in MATLAB software and datasets related to software production lines show that the rate of reduction of target performance error or feature selection cost in software production lines in the proposed method has decreased by 64.17% with increasing population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitat loss and non‐native species are 2 of the most important factors that influence native species persistence and behaviors globally. The insectivorous Hawaiian hoary bat (Lasiurus semotus) is the only extant terrestrial mammal native to the Hawaiian Islands. Non‐native invasive insectivore species, which are potential competitors of bats for prey, may influence hoary bat behavior. The goal of this study was to determine how small‐scale suppression of invasive insectivores (rodents, ants, and yellowjacket wasps [Vespula pensylvanica]) influenced bat activity in grasslands and woodlands. We measured bat activity as a function of the number of distinct minutes in a night containing bat echolocations (bat call minutes) at 20 experimental plots (each 2.25 ha) in a dryland ecosystem on Hawaiʻi Island, November 2016–January 2018. We included 3 predictor variables: vegetation type (woodland, grassland), season (bat reproductive cycle periods: lactation, mating, pre‐pregnancy, and pregnancy), and insectivore treatment type (ant suppressed, yellowjacket wasp suppressed, rodent suppressed, combined ant+wasp+rodent suppressed, and no treatment). Bat activity was associated with all 3 predictors using a negative binomial generalized linear model. Bat call minutes and feeding buzzes were twice as high in woodlands than in the grasslands (2.4 and 2.3 times as high, respectively). Bat activity was slightly lower (0.47 bat call min/night fewer) in plots receiving the combined ant + wasp + rodent treatment compared to all other treatment plots. Feeding buzzes did not differ significantly among treatments. Mean activity was lowest during lactation (mid‐Jun–Aug). Although woodlands appear particularly important for the Hawaiian hoary bat, small‐scale bat activity and foraging do not appear to be strongly affected by resource competition with the invasive insectivores in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of food habits is essential for understanding the life history of a species; however, such information about the enigmatic Murina genus of bats is little known. In this study, we examined the food habits of Murina hilgendorfi and Murina ussuriensis over four years in Hayakawa, central Japan, using traditional morphological fecal analysis. Fragments of arthropods of six orders (five identified families), and of five orders (five identified families), were found in the feces of M. hilgendorfi and M. ussuriensis , respectively. Both species consumed wingless arthropods (caterpillars and spiders), insects that rarely fly (ground beetles and bush crickets), or diurnal insects (dragonflies and hoverflies; i.e., that are resting at night) during the night, which is a clear indication of gleaning behavior in these bats. In spring, the large-bodied M. hilgendorfi more frequently consumed hard-bodied insects such as beetles and bush crickets, whereas the small-bodied M. ussuriensis more frequently consumed soft-bodied insects such as caterpillars, moths, spiders, and dipterans, suggesting that the body size difference influences their food habits, which may have contributed to food resource partitioning between these closely related bats. For M. hilgendorfi , beetles were the main prey in spring and autumn, while caterpillars and grasshoppers were more frequently consumed in spring and autumn, respectively, suggesting that they may have changed prey items according to seasonal fluctuations in food availability. To our knowledge, this study provides the first record of differences in the food habits of these two species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One mechanism for morphologically similar and sympatric species to avoid competition and facilitate coexistence is to feed on different prey items within different microhabitats. In the current study, we investigated and compared the diet of the two most common and similar‐sized bat species in Japan—Murina ussuriensis (Ognev, 1913) and Myotis ikonnikovi (Ognev, 1912)—to gain more knowledge about the degree of overlap in their diet and their foraging behavior. We found that both bat species consumed prey from the orders of Lepidoptera and Diptera most frequently, while the proportion of Dipterans was higher in the diet of M. ikonnikovi. Furthermore, we found a higher prey diversity in the diet of M. ikonnikovi compared to that of M. ussuriensis that might indicate that the former is a more generalist predator than the latter. In contrast, the diet of M. ussuriensis contained many Lepidopteran families. The higher probability of prey items likely captured via gleaning to occur in the diet of M. ussuriensis in contrast to M. ikonnikovi indicates that M. ussuriensis might switch between aerial‐hawking and gleaning modes of foraging behavior. We encourage further studies across various types of habitats and seasons to investigate the flexibility of the diet composition and foraging behavior of these two bat species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Where did the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) come from? Did it spread to 'patient zero' through proactive human-animal contact? Why did humans faced an increasing number of zoonotic diseases in the past few decades? In this article, we propose a new theory by which human pollution such as artificial lighting and noise accentuate pathogen shedding from bats and other wild habitants in urban environments. This theory differs from the current hypothesis that wildlife trades and bushmeat consumption largely contribute to the spillover of zoonotic pathogens to humans. As natural reservoirs, bats harbor the greatest number of zoonotic viruses among all mammalian orders, while they also have a unique immune system to maintain functioning. Some bat species roost in proximity with human settlements, including urban communities and surrounding areas that are potentially most impacted by anthropogenic activities. We review the behavioral changes of wild habitants, including bats and other species, caused by environmental pollution such as artificial lighting and noise pollution, with focus on the spillover of zoonotic pathogens to humans. We found that there is a strong positive correlation between environmental stress and the behavior and health conditions of wild species, including bats. Specifically, artificial lighting attracts insectivorous bats to congregate around streetlights, resulting in changes in their diets and improved likelihood of close contact with humans and animals. Moreover, many bat species avoid lit areas by expending more energies on commuting and foraging. Noise pollution has similar effects on bat behavior. Bats exposed to chronic noise pollution have weakened immune functions, increased viral shedding, and declined immunity during pregnancy, lactation, and vulnerable periods due to noised-induced stress. Other wild species exposed to artificial lighting and noise pollution also show stress-induced behaviors and deteriorated health. Overall, evidence supports our hypothesis that artificial lighting and noise pollution have been overlooked as long-term contributors to the spillover of zoonotic pathogens to humans in urban environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wild birds and mammals that feed in agricultural habitats are potentially exposed to pesticides through various routes. Until recently, it has been implicitly assumed that the existing European Union risk assessment scheme for birds and mammals also covered bats (Chiroptera). However, recent publications raised concerns and, in 2019, a scientific statement was published by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) that concluded that bats were not adequately covered by the current risk assessment scheme. We review the evidence presented and assumptions made in the EFSA bat statement relating to toxicity, bioaccumulation, and exposure pathways (oral, dermal, and inhalation), in terms of their relevance for bats potentially foraging in agricultural areas in the European Union; we highlight where uncertainties remain and how these could be addressed. Based on our review, it is clear that there is still much uncertainty with regard to the appropriateness of the assumptions made in the EFSA bat statement. Significantly more information needs to be gathered to answer fundamental questions regarding bat behavior in agricultural landscapes, together with the relative sensitivity of bats to pesticide exposure. Given the current critical information gaps, it is recommended that quantitative risk assessments for bats not be performed for pesticides until more robust, reliable, and relevant data are available. The risk to bats can then be compared with that for birds and ground‐dwelling mammals, to determine the protectiveness of the existing scheme and thus whether a bat scenario is indeed required and under what circumstances. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:2978–2989. © 2021 Cambridge Environmental Assessments, part of RSK ADAS Ltd. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Offshore wind energy is a growing industry in the United States, and renewable energy from offshore wind is estimated to double the country's total electricity generation. There is growing concern that land‐based wind development in North America is negatively impacting bat populations, primarily long‐distance migrating bats, but the impacts to bats from offshore wind energy are unknown. Bats are associated with the terrestrial environment, but have been observed over the ocean. In this review, we synthesize historic and contemporary accounts of bats observed and acoustically recorded in the North American marine environment to ascertain the spatial and temporal distribution of bats flying offshore. We incorporate studies of offshore bats in Europe and of bat behavior at land‐based wind energy studies to examine how offshore wind development could impact North American bat populations. We find that most offshore bat records are of long‐distance migrating bats and records occur during autumn migration, the period of highest fatality rates for long‐distance migrating bats at land‐based wind facilities in North America. We summarize evidence that bats may be attracted to offshore turbines, potentially increasing their exposure to risk of collision. However, higher wind speeds offshore can potentially reduce the amount of time that bats are exposed to risk. We identify knowledge gaps and hypothesize that a combination of operational minimization strategies may be the most effective approach for reducing impacts to bats and maximizing offshore energy production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scope and severity of white-nose syndrome on hibernating bats in North America Keywords: conservation; data sharing; disease; Endangered Species Act; monitoring; North American Bat Monitoring Program; NatureServe; conservación; enfermedad; intercambio de datos; Ley de Especies en Peligro de Extinción; monitoreo; Programa de Monitoreo de Murciélagos Norteamericanos EN conservation data sharing disease Endangered Species Act monitoring North American Bat Monitoring Program NatureServe conservación enfermedad intercambio de datos Ley de Especies en Peligro de Extinción monitoreo Programa de Monitoreo de Murciélagos Norteamericanos 1586 1597 12 10/05/21 20211001 NES 211001 INTRODUCTION A paradox of conservation planning is that data to inform critical decisions are often lacking for species most in need of conservation (Frick et al., 2019; Stanton et al., 2019; Sutherland et al., 2004). We used the same priors as described in Eq. 1 (rstanarm in R [Goodrich et al., 2018]): 4 HT ht HT ht We report species incidence as the mean estimates of the posterior draws with 95% CRI. [Extracted from the article]

In this case, if it is assumed that bats use only L cones and have monochromatic vision in mesopic conditions, flowers would appear brighter to these bats by reflecting light across other wavelengths out of the UV range. Keywords: bat pollination; bat vision; Caatinga dry forest; Ceiba glaziovii; cognitive pollination ecology; floral color; floral signaling; nocturnal pollination; Phyllostomidae; twilight anthesis; ultraviolet; white flowers EN bat pollination bat vision Caatinga dry forest Ceiba glaziovii cognitive pollination ecology floral color floral signaling nocturnal pollination Phyllostomidae twilight anthesis ultraviolet white flowers 1 5 5 09/03/21 20210901 NES 210901 Specialization in nectarivory is an uncommon condition among bats, and it is restricted to two subfamilies of Neotropical phyllostomids (Glossophaginae and Lonchophyllinae), which encompass dozens of bats with striking morpho-physiological adaptations to exploit floral nectar (Muchhala and Tschapka 2020). Shining bright in the dusk: How do bat-pollinated flowers reflect light? Although we cannot predict exactly how bats discriminate floral colors, our findings that many bat-pollinated flowers in the Caatinga are bright white and absorb UV-light lead us to propose two hypotheses (Fig. [Extracted from the article]

Bat swarming behavior among sites and its potential for spreading white-nose syndrome Keywords: Colorado bats; Pseudogymnoascus destructans; swarming; transmission; white-nose syndrome EN Colorado bats Pseudogymnoascus destructans swarming transmission white-nose syndrome 1 4 4 08/05/21 20210801 NES 210801 Bats swarm when individuals aggregate, typically at caves or mines during autumn, and together repeatedly circle, dive, chase, and land (Fenton 1969). GLO:ECL/01aug21:ecy3325-fig-0002.jpg PHOTO (COLOR): 2 Hypothesized transmission pathways for the fungal spores from Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the causal agent of the disease white-nose syndrome, on male and female bats throughout the year. Colorado bats, Pseudogymnoascus destructans, swarming, transmission, white-nose syndrome. [Extracted from the article]

The mating behavior of North American tree bats (Lasiurus spp. and Lasionycteris noctivagans) is not well understood. The majority of records suggest that this group of species mates during the autumn migratory period and that females store sperm throughout the winter before resuming the reproductive cycle in spring. On 16 May 2019, while mist-netting in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, USA, we observed a male and female silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans) copulating on the ground. Both individuals were captured and processed to obtain further details on reproductive status. To our knowledge this is the first published record of a silver-haired bat copulation event, and its occurrence during the spring migratory period challenges long-held assumptions about the reproductive cycle of the species and tree bats in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animals must encode fundamental physical relationships in their brains. A heron plunging its head underwater to skewer a fish must correct for light refraction, an archerfish shooting down an insect must "consider" gravity, and an echolocating bat that is attacking prey must account for the speed of sound in order to assess its distance. Do animals learn these relations or are they encoded innately and can they adjust them as adults are all open questions. We addressed this question by shifting the speed of sound and assessing the sensory behavior of a bat species that naturally experiences different speeds of sound. We found that both newborn pups and adults are unable to adjust to this shift, suggesting that the speed of sound is innately encoded in the bat brain. Moreover, our results suggest that bats encode the world in terms of time and do not translate time into distance. Our results shed light on the evolution of innate and flexible sensory perception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bat fatalities at wind energy facilities in North America are predominantly comprised of migratory, tree‐dependent species, but it is unclear why these bats are at higher risk. Factors influencing bat susceptibility to wind turbines might be revealed by temporal patterns in their behaviors around these dynamic landscape structures. In northern temperate zones, fatalities occur mostly from July through October, but whether this reflects seasonally variable behaviors, passage of migrants, or some combination of factors remains unknown. In this study, we examined video imagery spanning one year in the state of Colorado in the United States, to characterize patterns of seasonal and nightly variability in bat behavior at a wind turbine. We detected bats on 177 of 306 nights representing approximately 3,800 hr of video and > 2,000 discrete bat events. We observed bats approaching the turbine throughout the night across all months during which bats were observed. Two distinct seasonal peaks of bat activity occurred in July and September, representing 30% and 42% increases in discrete bat events from the preceding months June and August, respectively. Bats exhibited behaviors around the turbine that increased in both diversity and duration in July and September. The peaks in bat events were reflected in chasing and turbine approach behaviors. Many of the bat events involved multiple approaches to the turbine, including when bats were displaced through the air by moving blades. The seasonal and nightly patterns we observed were consistent with the possibility that wind turbines invoke investigative behaviors in bats in late summer and autumn coincident with migration and that bats may return and fly close to wind turbines even after experiencing potentially disruptive stimuli like moving blades. Our results point to the need for a deeper understanding of the seasonality, drivers, and characteristics of bat movement across spatial scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little information exists on the habitat use and feeding ecology of insectivorous bats in arid ecosystems, especially at and near uranium mines in northern Arizona, within the Grand Canyon watershed. In 2015-2016, we conducted mist-netting, nightly acoustic monitoring (>1 year), and diet analyses of bats, as well as insect sampling, at 2 uranium mines (Pinenut and Arizona 1) with water containment ponds. Because of physical barriers and limited general access to areas within the mine yard, mist-netting was limited to outside of the perimeter fence and away from the containment ponds. Mist-netting also occurred at 2 nearby sites that served as proxies to the mines. Bats captured directly at the mines included one pregnant Antrozous pallidus and 3 adult male Parastrellus hesperus. At the proxy sites, we captured 45 individuals identified as A. pallidus, Corynorhinus townsendii, Eptesicus fuscus, Euderma maculatum, Lasionycteris noctivagans, Myotis californicus, Myotis ciliolabrum, P. hesperus, and Tadarida brasiliensis. The nightly and seasonal presence of bats, as shown through acoustic recordings at each mine, coincided with the seasonal migratory and hibernation behaviors of the bat species. Statistical comparisons of acoustic recordings with precipitation data collected over one year show that seasonal monsoon rains generally had a negative effect on the nightly activity and presence of bats. Diets of P. hesperus from both mines were comprised mostly of coleopterans but also included smaller volumes of Hymenoptera, Hemiptera, Lepidoptera, Diptera, and Neuroptera. The diet of A. pallidus was comprised solely of Coleoptera. Diets of bat species from the proxy sites were characteristic of their known feeding ecology, which ranged from the consumption of soft-bodied insects (e.g., moths) by C. townsendii to the consumption of hard-bodied insects (e.g., beetles) by E. fuscus. Ultimately, the increased knowledge of the natural history of bats through multiple methods of data collection allows for a better understanding of complex arid ecosystems. It also provides resources needed for the management of habitat associated with alternative energy, such as uranium mining. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]