Research Progress in Bat Dietary Analysis: Methods, Applications, and Future Perspectives

Bats (Chiroptera) provide critical ecosystem services, including pest suppression, pollination, and seed dispersal. Understanding their dietary ecology is essential for conservation management yet has historically been constrained by methodological limitations. This review synthesizes advances in bat dietary analysis over the past several decades, from traditional morphological and stable isotope approaches to the revolutionary DNA metabarcoding techniques that now dominate the field. We systematically evaluate the strengths and limitations of each methodological approach and examine how molecular methods have transformed our understanding of bat trophic ecology. Research progress across major feeding guilds-insectivorous, frugivorous, nectarivorous, carnivorous, and sanguivorous bats-is examined, with emphasis on recent discoveries enabled by molecular techniques. We discuss ecological and conservation applications, including ecosystem service quantification, food web construction, and responses to environmental change. Finally, we identify priority directions for future research, including long-read sequencing technologies, multi-method integration, reference database expansion, and One Health applications. This synthesis provides guidance for researchers selecting appropriate analytical approaches and highlights the critical role of dietary studies in bat conservation amid accelerating global change.