Diet of Natalus mexicanus (Chiroptera, Natalidae) in a semi-evergreen forest in Oaxaca, Mexico

Abstract

We investigated the diet composition of Natalus mexicanus in a semi-evergreen forest in the state of Oaxaca, in the southeast of Mexico, using fecal analysis. The diet was composed of eight arthropod orders, the most abundant and important preys being members of the orders Diptera, Coleoptera, Hemiptera, and Hymenoptera. We did not observe significant differences in diet composition between males and females or in proportions consumed by the bats and those obtained through collections with light traps. In the study area, N. mexicanus is a species with a generalist opportunist diet.