More studies reveal the ecological services of bats

Biologist and Researcher Tharaka Kusuminda told Times online that he is engaged in few major studies on insectivorous bat species of Sri Lanka.

He added that one of the studies is how bat species are providing ecosystem services by controlling pests in agriculture. As an agricultural country with interest of ecological agriculture and organic farming, getting service of bats like natural predators in most of crop pests is very important.

He explained that he is using three bat species with different feeding styles to see how they engage in insect control in tea plantation areas.

One among the bats identified as Rufous horse-shoe bat (Rhinolophus rouxii) used for the study was with fly catching style in finding insects while the other two species Kelaart's pipistrelle (Pipistrellus ceylonicus) and Phillips's long-fingered bat (Miniopterus phillipsi) were catching and feeding insects in open areas.

From the research it was found that all three bat species are feeding on mainly moths and beetles that most of agricultural pests represented. Addition to that, this study found 90% of the diet of these bats comprised by moths and beetles. Generally bat would consume large quantity of insects at least 1/3 of its body weight in a single night. Thus, large colonies of insectivorous bats may result in the large scale depletion of pest insects surrounding habitats. He pointed out that the bats contribute to the balance of the ecosystem and naturally control harmful pests therefore securing their numbers could help crop cultivators.

He added that apart from that he is also engaging in a research of confirming the taxonomic validity of six species of bats as well as two species most probably new to the science.

Addition to that, his team is studying on the current distribution of bats in Sri Lanka. He told that one bat species never recorded from Sri Lanka after colonial period and three bat species only known from less than 3 occasions in the country. Therefore, expand our knowledge about the current distribution of this animal group is crucial to assess their conservation status.