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Bats Track andExploit Changes inInsect PestPopulations Gary F. McCrackenJohn K. WestbrookVeronica A. Brown2012 год

Bats Track and Exploit Changes in Insect Pest Populations
статья из журнала

Полный текстСтраница публикацииПубликация в OpenAlex
Аннотация: The role of bats or any generalist predator in suppressing prey populations depends on the predator's ability to track and exploit available prey. Using a qPCR fecal DNA assay, we document significant association between numbers of Brazilian free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) consuming corn earworm (CEW) moths (Helicoverpa zea) and seasonal fluctuations in CEW populations. This result is consistent with earlier research linking the bats' diet to patterns of migration, abundance, and crop infestation by important insect pests. Here we confirm opportunistic feeding on one of the world's most destructive insects and support model estimates of the bats' ecosystem services. Regression analysis of CEW consumption versus the moth's abundance at four insect trapping sites further indicates that bats track local abundance of CEW within the regional landscape. Estimates of CEW gene copies in the feces of bats are not associated with seasonal or local patterns of CEW abundance, and results of captive feeding experiments indicate that our qPCR assay does not provide a direct measure of numbers or biomass of prey consumed. Our results support growing evidence for the role of generalist predators, and bats specifically, as agents for biological control and speak to the value of conserving indigenous generalist predators.
Год издания: 2012
Авторы: Gary F. McCracken, John K. Westbrook, Veronica A. Brown, Melanie L. Eldridge, Paula Federico, Thomas Kunz
Издательство: Public Library of Science
Источник: PLoS ONE
Ключевые слова: Bat Biology and Ecology Studies, Species Distribution and Climate Change, Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
Другие ссылки: PLoS ONE (PDF)
PLoS ONE (HTML)
DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (HTML)
Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (PDF)
Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (HTML)
PubMed Central (HTML)
PubMed (HTML)