Malays. Appl. Biol. (June 2004) 33(1): 69-72
FEEDING HABITS OF SELECTED INSECTIVOROUS BATS IN
PERLIS, MALAYSIA
ZUBAID, A.1*, IDRIS, B.C.1 and TAN, D.2
1Fakulti Sains & Teknologi Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
43600 UKM, Bangi
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
2Bahagian Perlindungan Tanaman
Jabatan Pertanian Telok Chengai
06600 Kuala Kedah, Kedah
ABSTRACT
All observed insect remains were collected from beneath the diurnal roosts which were inhabited by a single species only. Miniopterus schreibersii fed mainly on Orthoptera (32.9%), Lepidoptera (29.8%) and Coleoptera (23%); Hipposideros diadema on Orthoptera (41.2%), Coleoptera (25.6%) and Lepidoptera (23.4%); Hipposideros larvatus on Orthoptera (40.4%), Coleoptera (17.5%) and Lepidoptera (17.6%); Nycteris tragata on Lepidoptera (33.5%), Orthoptera (33%) and Coleoptera (25%). Other groups preyed on were the Blattaria, Mantodea, Hymenoptera, Isoptera, Homoptera and Diptera. The presence of Coleoptera, Orthopteroids, Lepidoptera and Isoptera, all of which include many members considered to be pests shows that the bats play an important role in managing the populations of these insects in the agro-ecosystem food chain.
ABSTRAK
Semua fragmen serangga telah dikutip dari lantai sarang yang didiami oleh satu spesies kelawar sahaja. Miniopterus schreibersii didapati memakan Orthoptera (32.9%), Lepidoptera (29.8%) dan Coleoptera (23%); Hipposideros diadema memakan Orthoptera (41.2%), Coleoptera (25.6%) dan Lepidoptera (23.4%); Hipposideros larvatus memakan Orthoptera (40.4%), Coleoptera (17.5%) dan Lepidoptera (17.6%); Nycteris tragata memakan Lepidoptera (33.5%), Orthoptera (33%) dan Coleoptera (25%). Kumpulan serangga lain yang dimakan ialah Blattaria, Mantodea, Hymenoptera, Isoptera, Homoptera dan Diptera. Kehadiran Coleoptera, Orthopteroid, Lepidoptera dan Isoptera, yang mengandungi banyak ahli yang bersifat perosak menunjukan bahawa kelawar memainkan peranan penting dalam mengawal populasi serangga dalam rantai makanan ekosistem pertanian.
Key words: insectivorous bats, insect pests, biological control, agriculture
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