Finding flowers in the dark: nectar-feeding bats integrate olfaction and echolocation while foraging for nectar.

Area of Science:

• Sensory ecology
• Animal behavior
• Bioacoustics

Background:

• Nectar-feeding bats rely on floral nectar for energy.
• Flowers attract bats using scents and acoustic echoes.
• The combined role of scent and echolocation in bat foraging is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relative importance of olfactory and acoustic cues in bat foraging.
• To understand how bats integrate multiple sensory inputs for flower detection and localization.
• To analyze the foraging behavior of *Leptonycteris yerbabuenae*.

Main Methods:

• Conducted two-choice experiments with *Leptonycteris yerbabuenae* using floral scent and acoustic cues.
• Presented bats with decoupled and coupled olfactory and acoustic stimuli.
• Recorded and analyzed bat echolocation behavior and floral scent composition of *Pachycereus pringlei*.

Main Results:

• Bats showed no preference when presented with single sensory cues.
• Bats preferentially reacted to and chose combined olfactory and acoustic cues.
• Continuous echolocation with a long terminal group was observed before successful flower visits.

Conclusions:

• Nectar-feeding bats integrate olfactory and acoustic information for efficient foraging.
• Combined sensory cues enhance flower detection and precise localization.
• This study provides novel insights into the multimodal sensory integration in bat foraging behavior.