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Abstract

This study focused on the relationships between four species of North American insectivorous bats with two species of fireflies such as Photinus pyralis and Photuris versicolor. The objectives are to determine the degree to which bats and fireflies co-occurred, identify insects parts in the diets of bats. The last experiment using simulated bioluminescence flashes and size demonstrated that treatment order did not significantly affect behaviors of E. Fuscus.

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22 views

Abstract

This study focused on the relationships between four species of North American insectivorous bats with two species of fireflies such as Photinus pyralis and Photuris versicolor. The objectives are to determine the degree to which bats and fireflies co-occurred, identify insects parts in the diets of bats. The last experiment using simulated bioluminescence flashes and size demonstrated that treatment order did not significantly affect behaviors of E. Fuscus.

Uploaded by

Pad Kamolchanok
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Seminar in Zoology I

Do courtship flashes of fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) serve as aposematic signals to insectivorous bats?
Miss Kamolchanok Boriboon Advisor: Asst.Prof. Duangkhae Sitthicharoenchai Co-advisor: Dr. Thongchai Ngamprasertwong September 7, 2011 at 13.00-13.30 Room 121, Biology I Building, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University

Abstract
Although the defensive mechanism of some fireflies species against their predators are known as chemical defense, the use of bioluminescence is an interesting question to investigate. This study focused on the relationships between four species of North American insectivorous bats such as Eptesicus fuscus, Myotis leibii, Myotis lucifugus and Myotis septentrionalis with two species of fireflies such as Photinus pyralis and Photuris versicolor. The objectives are to determine the degree to which bats and fireflies co-occurred, identify insects parts in the diets of bats, determine coating palatable insects with homogenized P. pyralis and identify simulated flash signals and target sizes influence to attack moving firefly-sized lures. The results presented that adult fireflies were active at site where bats were captured, but the faecal pellets of the bat contained other coleopterans and did not occur of any lampyrids. For the firefly palatability experiment, bats were rejected a significantly proportions of mealworms treated with adults P. pyralis homogenate than those treated with adult Tenebrio molitor. The last experiment using simulated bioluminescence flashes and size demonstrated that treatment order did not significantly affect behaviors of E. fuscus whereas statistically affected behaviors of M. lucifugus. The results also showed that E. fuscus significantly responded and attacked non-flashing Photuris-sized lures. In contrast, M. lucifugus bats tended to approach the flashing lures more often than non-flashing lures in first trials and approached flashing Photinus-sized lures more often than flashing Photuris-sized lures. The results indicated that bioluminescence of adult fireflies propably operate as aposematic warning signals to the common insectivorus bat, Eptesicus fuscus. References: Eisner, T., Goetz, M.A., Hill, D.E., Smedley, S.R. and Meinwald, J. 1997. Firefly femmes fatales acquire defensive steroids (lucibufagins) from their firefly prey. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 94: 97239728. Gonzalez, A., Hare, J.F. and Eisner, T. 1999. Chemical egg defense in Photuris firefly femme fatales. Chemoecology. 9: 177185. Paul, R., Christopher, K., Scott, D. and Howard, H. 2009. Do courtship flashes of fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) serve as aposematic signals to insectivorous bats? Journal of Animal Behaviour. 78: 10191025.

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