Brown long-eared bat (Plecotus auritus) in Denmark

Fødevalg hos Langøret flagermus (Plecotus auritus) i Østjylland

Jørgen Terp Laursen

Examination of food choices for Brown long-eared bat (Plecotus auritus – Mammalia: Chiroptera) based on prey remains in East Jutland.

 Wings from moths (Noctuidae), which were remains of food from Brown long-eared bat (Plecotus auritus), were found at 13 sites in the period 1988-2009, most often church attics but also house and barn attics mm. Collections thus took place across years, but each site was only visited once. The study included 1001 prey specimens in 13 species, which all are common in Denmark. Quite surprisingly, two species, alone, Rhyacia simulans Hfm. and Noctua pronuba L., accounted for 60% and 15%, respectively, of the prey items, and were, generally, dominant across years and sites. Normal prey composition and prey species diversity for Brown long-eared bat is discussed and is probably significantly greater than this study shows (Rydell 1989, Rydell et al. 1996). Clearly, the method of this study influenced the results, which are nevertheless unprecedented in Denmark and may illustrate important alternative feeding strategies in Brown longeared bat, preying on insects resting on tree canopies or buildings.

Key words: Brown long-eared bat, Plecotus auritus, church, Denmark, food, roost, moth.

Laursen JT 2015: Flora og Fauna 121 (1+2) side: 36-40