BC Bat Diet Project

The Story

Insectivorous bats eat insects. If they eat pest species this can help farmers.

But we don’t know what insect species bats eat in BC.

We are collecting bat guano to identify the insects they eat using genomics.

This information can help foster positive bat-producer relationships and promote conservation.

What You Should Know

Insects Can Negatively Impact Agriculture

Some species of insects are agricultural pests, posing an economic cost to farmers.

Bats Consume Insects

Insectivorous bats are a type of bat that eat insects. Commonly eaten insects include flies, moths, and beetles. The consumption of pest species is an ecological service that saves farmers money. However, we cannot fully appreciate their service as there is a lack of information on the diets consumed by bats in our own backyard.

Identifying Insect Species Consumed by Bats is Challenging

Traditional methods to determine bat diets (i.e., removing pieces of insects from guano) have limitations. For example, insects with hard bodies are easier to find. A powerful tool to identify insect species in bat guano is genomics!

Genomics is a Powerful Tool for Describing Bat Diets

Instead of looking for insects in guano, we can collect eDNA (environmental DNA) by sampling bat guano. Genomics can be used to identify the species present in the guano just from their DNA. It’s also a non-invasive form of collection which means that bats don’t need to be handled at all.

We Are Developing Genomics Tools to Evaluate Bat Diets From eDNA

We are using a genomics tool called metabarcoding to identify insect species in bat diets. To use this tool, we will be developing primers (which target a section of the DNA for sequencing) that will help us identify species. This will allow us to create a database of insects consumed by bats in BC and identify which of these are agricultural pests!

Positive Bat-Producer Relationships

This will be the first study to identify agricultural pests in bat guano in BC using metabarcoding. By understanding bat diets, we can better appreciate their value to our ecosystems and agriculture. This will promote positive relationships between bats and producers and also promote conservation of bat species in the province.