[NatureNS] re bats vs. mosquitoes?

To: NatureNS <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>,
References: <fbc03a7428ea8e.51daa9b3@eastlink.ca>
From: "James W. Wolford" <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>
Date: Mon, 08 Jul 2013 13:06:01 -0300
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Original-Recipient: rfc822;"| (cd /csuite/info/Environment/FNSN/MList; /csuite/lib/arch2html)"

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THANKS, FRED! from Jim et al.

Begin forwarded message:

> From: fred scott <fwscott@eastlink.ca>
> Date: July 8, 2013 11:59:47 AM ADT
> To: Hugh Broders <Hugh.Broders@SMU.CA>, "James W. Wolford" =20
> <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>, Nature BNS <nature@blomidonnaturalists.ca>
> Cc: Mark F Elderkin <elderkmf@gov.ns.ca>, Andrew Hebda =20
> <HEBDAAJ@gov.ns.ca>, Donald McAlpine <Donald.McAlpine@nbm-mnb.ca>
> Subject: RE: re bats endangered -- good for other insectivores??
>
> Hi all,
>
> Hugh is quite right. The idea that insectivorous bats in North =20
> America feed on mosquitoes is a myth derived from a gross =20
> misunderstanding of a single old paper that provided the numbers of =20=

> mosquitoes eaten in one night by a captive big brown bat (Eptesicus =20=

> fuscus). It would normally prey on much larger insects, but made do =20=

> with mosquitoes because that was all it was offered. Also, it is a =20
> much larger animal than the little brown, long-eared and tricolored =20=

> bats in NS.
>
> In fact the vast majority of the feeding time of insectivorous bats =20=

> is spent well above the zones where mosquitoes are found. Even when =20=

> bats forage within a meter or two of the forest canopy, there are =20
> no mosquitoes there because there are no sleeping warm-blooded =20
> animals in the air=97they are all down in the foliage. The bats will =20=

> take a mosquito if they come across one, but to seek them out they =20
> would have to dodge and flutter through cluttered environments =20
> under trees and shrubs, or within a foot or two of the grass on =20
> fields or meadows, and it wouldn't be an energetically efficient =20
> way to forage, especially for such a small protein package.
>
>  It is also wrongly believed by many that swallows and swifts eats =20
> large amounts of mosquitoes, but they normally feed high in the =20
> open air, well away from any zone where mosquitoes would be hanging =20=

> out. Mosquitoes normally rest on vegetation until some disturbance =20
> or signal that could mean a blood meal stimulates them to take wing =20=

> and seek it out.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Fred


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<html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; =
-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">
THANKS, FRED! from Jim et al.<br><div><br><div>Begin forwarded =
message:</div><br class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote =
type=3D"cite"><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" =
size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: =
#000000"><b>From: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" =
style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">fred scott &lt;<a =
href=3D"mailto:fwscott@eastlink.ca">fwscott@eastlink.ca</a>&gt;</font></di=
v><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" =
style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>Date: =
</b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px =
Helvetica">July 8, 2013 11:59:47 AM ADT</font></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" =
style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>To: </b></font><font =
face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">Hugh =
Broders &lt;<a =
href=3D"mailto:Hugh.Broders@SMU.CA">Hugh.Broders@SMU.CA</a>&gt;, "James =
W. Wolford" &lt;<a =
href=3D"mailto:jimwolford@eastlink.ca">jimwolford@eastlink.ca</a>&gt;, =
Nature BNS &lt;<a =
href=3D"mailto:nature@blomidonnaturalists.ca">nature@blomidonnaturalists.c=
a</a>&gt;</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" =
size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: =
#000000"><b>Cc: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" =
style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">Mark F Elderkin &lt;<a =
href=3D"mailto:elderkmf@gov.ns.ca">elderkmf@gov.ns.ca</a>&gt;, Andrew =
Hebda &lt;HEBDAAJ@gov.ns.ca&gt;, =
Donald McAlpine &lt;<a =
href=3D"mailto:Donald.McAlpine@nbm-mnb.ca">Donald.McAlpine@nbm-mnb.ca</a>&=
gt;</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" =
size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: =
#000000"><b>Subject: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" =
style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica"><b>RE: re bats endangered -- good for =
other insectivores??</b></font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: =
14px; "><br></div> Hi all,<br><br>Hugh is quite right. The idea that =
insectivorous bats in North America feed on mosquitoes is a myth derived =
from a gross misunderstanding of a single old paper that provided the =
numbers of mosquitoes eaten in one night by a <span =
style=3D"text-decoration: underline;">captive</span> big brown bat =
(<span style=3D"font-style: italic;">Eptesicus fuscus</span>). It would =
normally prey on much larger insects, but made do with mosquitoes =
because that was all it was offered. Also, it is a much larger animal =
than the little brown, long-eared and tricolored bats in NS.<br><br>In =
fact the vast majority of the feeding time of insectivorous bats is =
spent well above the zones where mosquitoes are found. Even when bats =
forage within a meter or two of the forest canopy, there are no =
mosquitoes there because there are no sleeping warm-blooded animals in =
the air=97they are all down in the foliage. The bats will take a =
mosquito if they come across one, but to seek them out they would have =
to dodge and flutter through cluttered environments under trees and =
shrubs, or within a foot or two of the grass on fields or meadows, and =
it wouldn't be an energetically efficient way to forage, especially for =
such a small protein package. <br><br>&nbsp;It is also wrongly believed =
by many that swallows and swifts eats large amounts of mosquitoes, but =
they normally feed high in the open air, well away from any zone where =
mosquitoes would be hanging out. Mosquitoes normally rest on vegetation =
until some disturbance or signal that could mean a blood meal stimulates =
them to take wing and seek it =
out.<br><br>Cheers,<br><br>Fred</blockquote></div><br></body></html>=

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