Global review and guidelines to avoid opportunistic predation of birds and bats in mist nets.

Mist nets are one of the most widely used techniques in the study of birds and bats worldwide. However, a number of risks are involved, including opportunistic predation. Given this potential cost, here we: (1) review the global literature to understand the factors that might contribute to predation risk for birds and bats captured in mist nets; (2) review existing guidelines for best practice use of mist nets; and (3) based on our reviews, recommend new guidelines for the use of mist nets to minimize the risk of opportunistic predation. Based on keyword in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French, and using Google Scholar, Scopus, SciElo, and Web of Science, we found 48 articles reporting opportunistic predation. In the included articles, 178 predation events, involving 52 predator and 84 prey species, were reported. In most of the reports, the mist nets were placed at ground level, the bats and birds were preyed on from the shelf closest to the ground, the mist-net checks occurred at intervals of 1 h or 30 min and the most common predators were arboreal and scansorial species (primates and marsupials). Despite the occurrences of predation in 13 countries, guidelines for best practice mist-net use were found in only three, despite extensive searches and contact with key people in each country. Based on the existing guidelines and our results, we recommend that mist nets be fixed with the lowest shelf at least 50 cm above ground level and be checked at 15-min intervals; when predators are observed near mist nets, the nets either be constantly observed, closed, or relocated; suppressed the vegetation around the mist nets; captured animals be removed from the mist nets as soon as possible, and more than one researcher/technician should be in the field at all times.

Seasonal variation and host sex affect bat-bat fly interaction networks in the Amazonian savannahs.

Bats are the second-most diverse group of mammals in the world, and bat flies are their main parasites. However, significant knowledge gaps remain regarding these antagonistic interactions, especially since diverse factors such as seasonality and host sex can affect their network structures. Here, we explore the influence of such factors by comparing species richness and composition of bat flies on host bats, as well as specialization and modularity of bat-bat fly interaction networks between seasons and adult host sexes. We captured bats and collected their ectoparasitic flies at 10 sampling sites in the savannahs of Amapá State, northeastern region of the Brazilian Amazon. Despite female bats being more parasitized and recording greater bat fly species richness in the wet season, neither relationship was statistically significant. The pooled network could be divided into 15 compartments with 54 links, and all subnetworks comprised >12 compartments. The total number of links ranged from 27 to 48 (for the dry and wet seasons, respectively), and female and male subnetworks had 44 and 41 links, respectively. Connectance values were very low for the pooled network and for all subnetworks. Our results revealed higher bat fly species richness and abundance in the wet season, whereas specialization and modularity were higher in the dry season. Moreover, the subnetwork for female bats displayed higher specialization and modularity than the male subnetwork. Therefore, both seasonality and host sex contribute in different ways to bat-bat fly network structure. Future studies should consider these factors when evaluating bat-bat fly interaction networks.

Composition, richness and nestedness of gallery forest bird assemblages in an Amazonian savanna landscape: lessons for conservation.

Gallery forests are important to the maintenance of a substantial portion of the biodiversity in neotropical savanna regions, but management guidelines specific to this forest type are limited. Here, we use birds as study group to assess if: (1) functional traits can predict the abundance and occupancy of forest species within a savanna landscape, (2) habitat structures influence the taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity of forest assemblages, and (3) less diverse gallery forest assemblages are a nested subset of more diverse assemblages living near continuous forests. Then, we propose strategies on how gallery forests can be managed to maintain their species assemblages amidst the fast expansion of human activities across tropical savanna landscapes. We studied 26 sites of gallery forests in an Amazonian savanna landscape and found that: (1) habitat specificity is the only functional trait that predicts species abundance and occupancy across a landscape; (2) phylogenetic diversity is negatively correlated with understory foliage density; (3) the percentage of forests and savannas around sites is positively correlated with both phylogenetic and functional diversity; (4) increasing human activities around gallery forest negatively influences taxonomic and functional diversity; and (5) forest bird assemblages are not distributed at random across the landscape but show a nested pattern caused by selective colonization mediated by habitat filtering. Our combined findings have three implications for the design of conservation strategies for gallery forest bird assemblages. First, maintaining the connectivity between gallery forests and adjacent continuous forests is essential because gallery forest bird assemblages are derived from continuous forest species assemblages. Second, because most species use the savanna matrix to move across the landscape, effectively managing the savanna matrices where gallery forests are embedded is as important to maintaining viable populations of forest bird species as managing the gallery forest themselves. Third, in savanna landscapes planned to be used for agriculture production, protecting gallery forests alone is not enough. Instead, gallery forests should be protected with surrounding savanna buffers to avoid the detrimental effects (edge effects and isolation) of human activities on their biodiversity.

Taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic bat diversity decrease from more to less complex natural habitats in the Amazon.

The high levels of biodiversity in the Amazon are maintained mostly due to its composition as a natural mosaic of different habitats, including both unflooded and flooded forests, campinaranas, and savannahs. Here, we compared multiple dimensions of α- and ß- bat biodiversity between four natural Amazonian habitats (savannah, campinarana, forest patches, and continuous forest). In addition, we explored the extent to which bat communities in the different habitats are nested within one another, and compared the community-level functional uniqueness and community-weighted mean traits between habitats. Our results show that taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic α-diversity of bats is higher in continuous forest than in any of the other habitat types. The continuous forest also harbours more unique species, and indeed, the bat community assemblages in the less-complex habitats, including forest patches, campinarana and savannahs, are taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic sub-sets of the assemblage found in the continuous forest. By examining ß-diversity partitions and species composition, we are able to shed light on the mechanisms behind the variation in diversity between the four habitat types, which reflect a process of environmental sorting along a habitat gradient going from a more complex to a less complex habitat. We conclude that nesting patterns along the mosaic of habitats are determined by differences in complexity between habitats and that taxonomic and functional uniqueness contribute to overall regional bat diversity and functionality. Ongoing human-induced disturbances of these habitats could provoke an unprecedented loss of bat diversity and functionality with negative consequences for biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Predation of an American fruit-eating bat (Artibeus sp. ) by an Amazon tree boa (Corallus hortulanus) in the northern Brazilian Amazon / Predação de um morcego frugívoro (Artibeus sp. ) por uma suaçubóia (Corallus hortulanus) no norte da Amazônia brasileira

We report an observation of predation by an Amazon tree boa, Corallus hortulanus, on an American fruit-eating bat, Artibeus sp., in an area of seasonal forest close to a small stream in the northern Brazilian Amazon. While bats appear to be one of the main food items of C. hortulanus, our observation is only the fourth such event to be recorded in the Brazilian Amazon. The Artibeus sp. individual was observed making distress (agony) calls continuously over a period of three hours, much longer than recorded on previous observations. Records of this type are important to further our knowledge on bat predators, and the defensive behavior of bats. (AU)

Nós relatamos uma observação de predação por uma serpente Corallus hortulanus sobre um morcego do gênero Artibeus em uma área de floresta estacional perto de um córrego, no norte da Amazônia brasileira. Enquanto os morcegos parecem ser um dos principais itens alimentares de C. hortulanus, a nossa observação representa somente o quarto relato para a Amazônia brasileira. O indivíduo de Artibeus sp. foi observado vocalizando com chamados de distress (agonia) durante um período de três horas, o que representa uma duração muito maior do que o reportado em registros anteriores. Registros deste tipo são extremamente importantes para aumentar o nosso conhecimento sobre os predadores de morcegos e sobre o comportamento de defesa dos morcegos.(AU)

Bat richness (Mammalia: Chiroptera) in an area of montane Atlantic Forest in the Serra da Mantiqueira, state of Minas Gerais, southeast Brazil / Riqueza de morcegos (Mammalia: Chiroptera) em uma área de Floresta Atlântica montana na Serra da Mantiqueira, estado de Minas Gerais, sudeste do Brasil

Abstract: In recent years there has been an increase in research interest in remnants of Atlantic Forest above 500 m a.s.l., such as in the Serra da Mantiqueira, which is considered a priority area for conservation. The chiropterofauna of the Serra da Mantiqueira remains relatively under-studied, and here we present a list of bat species from the "Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural (RPPN) Cachoeira do Tombo", a private conservation unit located in an area of montane Atlantic Forest in the Serra da Mantiqueira. Bats were captured with mist nets along trails and near a diurnal roost. A total of 498 individuals of 19 bat species belonging to the families Phyllostomidae, Vespertilionidae and Molossidae were captured. Phyllostomidae were captured only along the trails, Molossidae were captured only in the diurnal roost and Vespertilionidae were captured in both. The species accumulation curves did not show stabilizing trends. However, 80% of the expected richness was sampled and the species richness of bats found is similar to other studies previously carried out in the region. In contrast to other inventories carried out in the Atlantic Forest, Desmodus rotundus was the species most frequently captured along the trails. A large number of individuals of Molossus aztecus sheltering in man-made structures were caught, constituting an unusual event. Additionally, here we report cohabitation of this species with Molossus molossus for the first time. Our results show that this area, which appears on the map of environmental conflicts for the state of Minas Gerais, has a rich chiropterofauna and also further corroborate the importance of using mist-nets at roosts to increase the probability of capturing the richness and abundance of insectivorous bats present in the area.

Resumo: Nos últimos anos houve um aumento no interesse em pesquisas em remanescentes de Floresta Atlântica acima de 500 m de altitude, como na Serra da Mantiqueira, a qual é considerada área prioritária para a conservação. A fauna de quirópteros na Serra da Mantiqueira ainda permanece relativamente pouco estudada, e aqui nós apresentamos uma lista de espécies de morcegos da Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural (RPPN) Cachoeira do Tombo, uma unidade de conservação privada localizada em área de Floresta Atlântica Montana na Serra da Mantiqueira. Os morcegos foram capturados com redes de neblina ao longo de trilhas e junto de um abrigo diurno. Um total de 498 indivíduos de 19 espécies de morcegos pertencentes às famílias Phyllostomidae, Vespertilionidae e Molossidae foram capturados. Phyllostomidae foram capturados somente em trilhas, Molossidae no abrigo diurno e Vespertilionidae em ambos. As curvas de acumulação de espécies não mostraram tendência de estabilização. No entanto, 80% da riqueza esperada foi amostrada e a riqueza de espécies encontrada foi similar a outros estudos previamente conduzidos na região. Diferente de outros inventários realizados na Mata Atlântica, Desmodus rotundus foi a espécie mais frequentemente capturada ao longo das trilhas. Um grande número de indivíduos de Molossus aztecus foi encontrado se abrigando em abrigo artificial, o que constitui um evento pouco usual. Adicionalmente, a coabitação dessa espécie com Molossus molossus é reportada aqui pela primeira vez. Os resultados mostram que essa área, que está inserida no mapa de conflitos ambientais do estado de Minas Gerais, possui uma rica chiropterofauna e corrobora a importância de usar redes de neblina em abrigos para aumentar a probabilidade de capturar a riqueza e abundância de morcegos insetívoros presentes na área.

Trichobius longipes (Diptera, Streblidae) as a parasite of Phyllostomus hastatus (Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae).

Among the factors that influence the diversity of ectoparasites on bat hosts are the kind of roost and the host's social behavior. Other factors such as sex, reproductive condition and host size may influence the distribution and abundance of ectoparasites. The aim of the present study was to analyze the variation in Streblidae ectoparasites on the bat Phyllostomus hastatus, according to sex and roost type. We caught bats in four houses on Marambaia Island, municipality of Mangaratiba, and in one house at the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, municipality of Seropédica. We caught 65 females and 50 males of P. hastatus and 664 streblids of four species: Aspidoptera phyllostomatis, Strebla consocia, Trichobius "dugesii" complex and Trichobius longipes. The species T. longipes accounted for more than 99% of all the ectoparasites caught. Female bats were more parasitized than males, in terms of both prevalence and average intensity. The total number of parasites did not vary between resident and non-resident bats. The relationship between the number of individuals of T. longipes and sex and roost type was significant for resident bats. The total number of parasites on males did not differ between bachelor roosts and mixed-sex roosts. The differences found between roosts reflected the differences between the sexes.

Trichobius longipes (Diptera, Streblidae) as a parasite of Phyllostomus hastatus (Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae) / Trichobius longipes (Diptera, Streblidae) como parasita de Phyllostomus hastatus (Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae)

Among the factors that influence the diversity of ectoparasites on bat hosts are the kind of roost and the host's social behavior. Other factors such as sex, reproductive condition and host size may influence the distribution and abundance of ectoparasites. The aim of the present study was to analyze the variation in Streblidae ectoparasites on the bat Phyllostomus hastatus, according to sex and roost type. We caught bats in four houses on Marambaia Island, municipality of Mangaratiba, and in one house at the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, municipality of Seropédica. We caught 65 females and 50 males of P. hastatus and 664 streblids of four species: Aspidoptera phyllostomatis, Strebla consocia, Trichobius “dugesii” complex and Trichobius longipes. The species T. longipes accounted for more than 99% of all the ectoparasites caught. Female bats were more parasitized than males, in terms of both prevalence and average intensity. The total number of parasites did not vary between resident and non-resident bats. The relationship between the number of individuals of T. longipes and sex and roost type was significant for resident bats. The total number of parasites on males did not differ between bachelor roosts and mixed-sex roosts. The differences found between roosts reflected the differences between the sexes.

Os fatores que influenciam a diversidade de artrópodes ectoparasitos no morcego hospedeiro incluem o tipo de abrigo e o comportamento social da espécie hospedeira. Aspectos como sexo, condição reprodutiva e tamanho do hospedeiro podem influenciar a distribuição e a abundância dos ectoparasitos. Este trabalho teve como objetivo analisar a variação no parasitismo de estreblídeos em Phyllostomus hastatus, considerando os sexos e diferentes abrigos. Os morcegos foram capturados em quatro casas na Ilha da Marambaia, município de Mangaratiba, e em uma casa na Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, município de Seropédica. Foram capturados 65 fêmeas e 50 machos de P. hastatus e 664 dípteros estreblídeos distribuídos em quatro espécies: Aspidoptera phyllostomatis, Strebla consocia, Trichobius complexo “dugesii” e Trichobius longipes. A espécie T. longipes representou mais de 99% das capturas de Streblidae. Fêmeas de morcegos foram mais parasitadas que os machos, tanto em prevalência quanto em intensidade média. O total de parasitos não variou entre os morcegos residentes e os não residentes. O modelo considerado entre o total de T. longipes, o sexo e o abrigo para indivíduos residentes mostrou-se significativo. O total de parasitos em machos não difere entre aqueles oriundos de abrigos de machos solteiros e de abrigos heterossexuais. As diferenças entre os abrigos refletem a diferença no parasitismo entre os sexos dos hospedeiros.

Assembleia de mamíferos não voadores da reserva biológica serra do Japi, Jundiaí, São Paulo, sudeste do Brasil / Non-volant mammal assemblage of serra do Japi biological reserve, Jundiaí, São Paulo, southeastern Brazil

A Reserva Biológica da Serra do Japi (REBIO) pode ser considerada área prioritária de preservação, pois representa uma das últimas grandes áreas de floresta contínua do estado de São Paulo. O objetivo deste trabalho foi inventariar a comunidade de mamíferos desta reserva, empregando-se diferentes metodologias não-invasivas de amostragem. As amostragens foram realizadas durante os períodos de julho/agosto de 2009 e janeiro/fevereiro de 2010 utilizando as metodologias de armadilha fotográfica, parcelas de areia, procura por rastros, coleta de fezes para microscopia de pêlos e procura por vestígios de mamíferos. A REBIO apresentou uma riqueza de 34 espécies de mamíferos não-voadores, sendo duas espécies domésticas, distribuídas em oito ordens e 21 famílias. O maior número de espécies foi identificado pela metodologia de parcelas de areia (n = 18) seguida de visualização (n = 17), identificação de rastros (n = 14), armadilhas fotográficas (n = 9) e coleta de fezes (n = 10). Apesar de ser uma Unidade de Conservação de Proteção Integral, a REBIO sofre com intensa visitação de turistas e "trilheiros", principalmente nos finais de semana, já que existe permissão de visitas monitoradas pelo órgão gestor. No presente estudo, espécies que podem indicar perturbação da biodiversidade, como Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris e Didelphis aurita, não apresentaram alta frequência de captura, demonstrando que apesar da invasão de espécies exóticas, domésticas e da pressão antrópica, a área apresenta relevante grau de preservação.

Serra do Japi Biological Reserve can be considered as a priority area for conservation, since it represents one of the last areas of continuous forests in the state of São Paulo. The objective of the present study was to inventory the mammal fauna of this reserve, through different non-invasive sampling methods. Sampling was carried out in July/August 2009 and January/February 2010, using camera traps, sand plots, search for tracks, collection of feces for hair microscopy, and search for traces. Serra do Japi Biological Reserve exhibited a richness of 34 non-volant mammal species; distributed into eight orders and 21 families, among them two species of domestic mammals. The greatest number of species was identified by the methodology of sand plots (n = 18) followed by visualization (n = 17), identification of tracks (n = 14), camera traps (n = 9) and feces collection (n = 10). Despite being a fully protected reserve, Serra do Japi Biological Reserve is intensively visited by tourists and hikers, mainly on weekends, since monitored visits are allowed by the management. In the present study, species that could indicate disturbance, such as Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris and Didelphis aurita, did not show high frequency of capture, showing that despite the invasion by exotic and domestic species, as well as the anthropic pressure, the area is still in a good conservation status.