Hawkes Will L, Davies Kelsey, Weston Scarlett, Moyes Kelly, Chapman Jason W, Wotton Karl R
Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn, UK.
Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach, Switzerland.
R Soc Open Sci. 2023 Aug 16;10(8):230151. doi: 10.1098/rsos.230151. eCollection 2023 Aug.
High altitude mountain passes in the Pyrenees are known to be important migratory hotspots for autumn migrating insects originating from large swathes of northern Europe. In the Pyrenees, prior research has focused on diurnal migratory insects. In this study, we investigate the nocturnal component of the migratory assemblage and ask if this transient food source is also used by bat species. Three seasons of insect trapping revealed 66 species of four different orders, 90% of which were Noctuid moths, including the destructive pest , otherwise known as the cotton bollworm. Acoustic bat detectors revealed that high activity of spp. and bats were closely synchronized with the arrival of the migratory moths, suggesting this food source is important for both resident and migratory bats to build or maintain energy reserves. Bats of the spp are likely migrating through the study site using fly-and-forage strategies or stopping over in the area, while resident may be exploiting the abundant food source to build fat stores for hibernation. This study shows that nocturnal migratory insects are abundant in the Pyrenees during autumn and interact during migration, not only with their co-migrant bats but also with resident bat species.
比利牛斯山脉的高山隘口是来自北欧大片地区的秋季迁徙昆虫重要的迁徙热点。在比利牛斯山脉，先前的研究集中在日间迁徙昆虫。在本研究中，我们调查了迁徙昆虫群落的夜间组成部分，并询问这种短暂的食物来源是否也被蝙蝠物种利用。三个季节的昆虫诱捕发现了四个不同目66种昆虫，其中90%是夜蛾科蛾类，包括具有破坏性的害虫棉铃虫。声学蝙蝠探测器显示， 属蝙蝠和 属蝙蝠的高活动与迁徙蛾类的到来密切同步，这表明这种食物来源对留居蝙蝠和迁徙蝙蝠建立或维持能量储备都很重要。 属蝙蝠可能采用边飞边觅食策略或在该地区中途停留，飞越研究地点，而留居的 属蝙蝠可能在利用丰富的食物来源为冬眠积累脂肪储备。这项研究表明，秋季比利牛斯山脉夜间迁徙昆虫数量众多，且在迁徙过程中相互作用，不仅与一同迁徙的蝙蝠相互作用，还与留居蝙蝠物种相互作用。
