- Title
- An experimental test of the allotonic frequency hypothesis to isolate the effects of light pollution on bat prey selection:
- Creator
- Bailey, Lauren A, Brigham, R Mark, Bohn, Shelby J, Boyles, Justin G, Smit, Ben
- Date
- 2019
- Type
- text
- Type
- article
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10962/158309
- Identifier
- vital:40171
- Identifier
- https://0-doi.org.wam.seals.ac.za/10.1007/s00442-019-04417-w
- Description
- Artificial lights may be altering interactions between bats and moth prey. According to the allotonic frequency hypothesis (AFH), eared moths are generally unavailable as prey for syntonic bats (i.e., bats that use echolocation frequencies between 20 and 50 kHz within the hearing range of eared moths) due to the moths’ ability to detect syntonic bat echolocation. Syntonic bats therefore feed mainly on beetles, flies, true bugs, and non-eared moths. The AFH is expected to be violated around lights where eared moths are susceptible to exploitation by syntonic bats because moths’ evasive strategies become less effective. The hypothesis has been tested to date almost exclusively in areas with permanent lighting, where the effects of lights on bat diets are confounded with other aspects of human habitat alteration. We undertook diet analysis in areas with short-term, localized artificial lighting to isolate the effects of artificial lighting and determine if syntonic and allotonic bats (i.e., bats that use echolocation frequencies outside the hearing range of eared moths) consumed more moths under conditions of artificial lights than in natural darkness.
- Format
- 8 pages, pdf
- Language
- English
- Relation
- Oecologia, Bailey, L.A., Brigham, R.M., Bohn, S.J., Boyles, J.G. and Smit, B., 2019. An experimental test of the allotonic frequency hypothesis to isolate the effects of light pollution on bat prey selection. Oecologia, 190(2), pp.367-374, Oecologia volume 190 number 2 367 374 May 2019 1432-1939
- Rights
- Publisher
- Rights
- Use of this resource is governed by the terms and conditions of the SpringerLink Terms of Use Statement ( https://link.springer.com/termsandconditions)
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Smit, Ben (Dr)
SDG 13. Climate Action
SDG 15. Life On Land
RU Department of Zoology and Entomology
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