VOLUME 19 NUMBER 1 (January to June 2026)

Prey composition of insectivorous bats in Puting Bato Cave 1, Burdeos, Polillo Island, Quezon Province, Philippines

Prey composition provides key insights into the trophic ecology of bats, helping to elucidate their ecological functions and inform effective conservation planning. We examined prey composition using morphological analyses of fecal samples from six insectivorous bat species in the Puting Bato Cave Complex, Polillo Island, Philippines. Culled fragments from the fecal samples of 58 bat individuals comprised 11 food items, classified into eight insect orders, two arachnid orders, and one plant category. Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, and Blattodea were the most commonly consumed food items, based on both percentage volume and frequency. The study also examined possible sex-based differences in diet; however, no significant differences were detected between males and females. While the majority of the diet aligns with previous studies, this study documents several additional prey items—specifically Sarcoptiformes, Araneae, and Odonata—that were not recorded in the earlier local study cited here. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the still poorly documented diets of Philippine bats.