Horseshoe bats make adaptive prey-selection decisions, informed by echo cues

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Ecology
• Sensory Ecology
• Bioacoustics

Background:

• Foraging decisions rely on sensory information, but the role of active decision-making versus sensory bias in specialized diets is unclear in echolocating bats.
• Greater horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum) can distinguish insect prey by their wing-beat patterns detected via echolocation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether greater horseshoe bats employ economic decision-making strategies when selecting prey.
• To determine if bats adjust their foraging behavior based on prey profitability and inter-arrival times.

Main Methods:

• A laboratory simulation of the natural foraging process was used, where bats intercepted prey released by computer-controlled propellers.
• Propellers generated controlled echoes mimicking natural insects with varying profitability to isolate echo information.
• Bat foraging decisions were observed in response to controlled prey availability and profitability.

Main Results:

• Bats monitored prey arrivals and adjusted their selectivity for more profitable prey according to inter-arrival intervals, aligning with foraging theory predictions.
• Foraging performance was not negatively impacted by the rejection of profitable prey, a finding distinct from previously studied vertebrates.
• The study demonstrates bats' capacity for economic decision-making in prey selection.

Conclusions:

• Greater horseshoe bats exhibit sophisticated economic foraging strategies, actively deciding on prey selection based on profitability and temporal availability.
• The species's decision-making efficiency in foraging warrants further investigation into the evolutionary pressures shaping this capacity.
• Findings challenge previous assumptions about sensory limitations in bat foraging and highlight advanced cognitive abilities.