The diet of Schreiber’s bent-winged bat, Miniopterus schreibersii (Chiroptera: Miniopteridae), in northeastern Slovenia (Central Europe)

The diet of Miniopterus schreibersii was investigated by morphological analysis of prey remains in droppings from the spring to the autumn of 2000 from a bat roost in northeastern Slovenia (Central Europe). Lepidoptera dominated, having an average percent volume (APV) of 79% and constituting the bulk of the diet throughout the year. By decreasing importance in the diet, the insects identified were Neuroptera – mostly Chrysopidae (APV 9.2%), Diptera (APV 7.4%), Trichoptera (APV 2.2%) and Coleoptera (APV 1.4%). The diet was most diverse in late October. It seems that M. schreibersii is an aerial hawker that specialises in eating moths, but can opportunistically switch to other seasonably abundant prey. It hunts small- to medium-sized winged prey (wing length: 2–18 mm), of which most are tympanate insects.