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International Journal of
Entomology Research
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VOL. 11, ISSUE 3 (2026)
Seasonal variations in the diet of Greater Asiatic Yellow House bat, Scotophilus heathii (Horsefield, 1831)
Authors
Amita Singh, Manjulendra Kumar, Vadamalai Elangovan
Abstract
Understanding the dietary composition of insectivorous bats is essential for evaluating the ecological role of bats. We investigated the diet of Scotophilus heathii across three roosting sites in Uttar Pradesh, India, using the food remnants. A total of 432 prey remains were recovered, of which 369 (85.4%) were identified, representing 12 insect orders. Coleoptera (27.8%) and Hemiptera (26.9%) dominated the diet, followed by Orthoptera (12.7%), whereas the remaining insect orders occurred in lower proportions. Dietary diversity was assessed using prey-order richness, Shannon diversity, Simpson diversity, and Pielou's evenness. Linear mixed-effects models showed that roosting site significantly influenced Shannon diversity, with Khairabad exhibiting higher diversity than Amausi, however seasonal differences in dietary diversity were not significant. In contrast, Permanova revealed significant differences in seasonal prey composition, while differences among roosting sites were not significant. Pairwise comparisons indicated that post-monsoon prey composition differed significantly from both summer and monsoon, and permdisp confirmed that these differences were not attributable to variation within-group dispersion. Overall, S. heathii exhibited a broad diet range, highlighting its potential ecological importance as a natural predator of nocturnal insect.
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Pages:703-712
How to cite this article:
Amita Singh, Manjulendra Kumar, Vadamalai Elangovan "Seasonal variations in the diet of Greater Asiatic Yellow House bat, Scotophilus heathii (Horsefield, 1831)". International Journal of Entomology Research, Vol 11, Issue 3, 2026, Pages 703-712

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Seasonal variations in the diet of Greater Asiatic Yellow House bat, Scotophilus heathii (Horsefield, 1831) | International Journal of Entomology Research