First evidence of folivory in guatemalan fruit bats: insights from an urban protected area

Abstract

Bats of the subfamily Stenodermatinae are primarily frugivorous; however, some species have been documented to incorporate leaves as a supplementary nutritional resource.  Leaf consumption may occur either through fractionation or direct ingestion of the leaf lamina; yet, observations remain limited and mostly anecdotal, with minimal or non-existent detailed descriptions.  Here, we document, for the first time, the consumption of leaves by a frugivorous bat in Guatemala.  The species observed consuming leaves is Artibeus lituratus, and this folivory behavior has been documented at various ranches used as feeding perches in Parque Nacional Naciones Unidas.  Using fecal samples, leaf and fruit pellets, fruit remains, seeds, and nibbled leaves collected from September to December 2023, we documented the food resources consumed, identifying 14 species of fruits and 9 species of leaves.  The most frequently consumed fruit families were Moraceae and Solanaceae, while the most common leaves belonged to the genera Liabum and Solanum, along with some unidentified items classified as Morphospecies 4.  Patterns of leaf consumption were categorized by section (basal, apical, edge, apical-basal, vein) and by the percentage of lamina consumed (< 0.5 or > 0.5).  Basal consumption was the most frequent, with approximately 0.5 or more of the leaf lamina typically eaten.  Our results suggest that fruit consumption is likely driven by availability, while leaf consumption raises the question of whether it responds to the aforementioned fruit availability or to individual nutritional needs.