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Impact of predation by a cave‐dwelling bat, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum , on the diapausing population of a troglophilic moth, Goniocraspidum preyeri
Author(s) -
Sano Akira
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
ecological research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.628
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1440-1703
pISSN - 0912-3814
DOI - 10.1007/s11284-005-0122-1
Subject(s) - predation , biology , overwintering , population , ecology , hibernation (computing) , lepidoptera genitalia , zoology , demography , state (computer science) , algorithm , sociology , computer science
The predation pressure of the greater horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum , on the diapausing population of the noctuid moth, Goniocraspidum preyeri , was examined at an abandoned mine in central Japan. These bats did not prey on the moths in summer. The number of moths preyed on was largest in March. More than 60% of the diapausing moths were eaten by only three or four bats, which accounted for over 90% of all the moth deaths. This moth was an important source of food at the end of the hibernating period when the bat had already used most of its stored subcutaneous fat. The predation on G. preyeri may have raised the overwintering success rate of R. ferrumequinum .