Morcegos (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) no Parque Estadual do Ibitipoca, Minas Gerais – Brasil: composição da assembléia e frugivoria

Abstract

The order Chiroptera has its higher diversity in tropics, with 174 species in Brazil, being 60% without any registered bat species. In Atlantic Rainforest whose remnants occupy about 7% of the original area, several Forest areas are restricted to mountainous places, were there is a lack of studies related to this order. The Parque Estadual do Ibitipoca (PEI) is located at Serra da Mantiqueira, em área de Mata Atlântica, of Zona da Mata in Minas Gerais State (21º42’ S e 43º54’ W). It comprises the municipalities of Lima Duarte in South and Southeast, Santa Rita de Ibitipoca in North and Bias Fortes in East, its area has 1488 hectares with altitude varying between 1200 to 1784 meters. This Study aimed to verify the richness and diversity of bats from the Phyllostomidae family, so as to study the feeding habits of frugivorous bats in PEI. The study was conduced in two areas of Ombrophilous Dense Forest named Mata de Grota and Mata Grande. Richness diversity and fruit consumption of both areas were compared. Bats were captured with 8 to 10 mist nets during 14 months (April 2011 to May 2012) four nights a month, totaling 62.171,25 m2h of capture effort. In field, the bats were screened and kept by one hour in cotton bags for obtaining the seeds contained in faeces. After this, bats were released in capture places and the seeds contained in faeces were screened and identified in laboratory. It was realized 400 captures, being 98% (12 species) from the Phyllostomidae family. The more abundant species were Sturnira lilium (59.9%), Platyrrhinus lineatus (11.3%), Artibeus lituratus (8.7%) and Carollia perspicillata (7.6%). Both sampled areas showed difference in richness, diversity and species composition of bats, being this difference predominantly influenced by S. lilium. The difference observed in bats assemblage between the two sampled areas is probably due to a variation in floristic composition. The presence of A. lituratus and P. lineatus only in a few months and next to fruiting Ficus mexiae, suggests that these bat species dislocate to PEI for food resource. These results suggest that the bats species composition from mountainous areas of Atlantic Rainforest in Southeast is different from that found in lower sites. With regarding to diet, it was obtained 126 fecal samples with seeds from 14 plant species. Among these, the most consumed were Solanum swartzianum (31.1%), Ficus mexiae (23.5%), Solanum pseudoquina (9.2%) and Dyssochroma viridiflorum (8.4%). There was no difference in seeds richness of both areas Mata de Grota and Mata Grande, although it was observed difference in seeds diversity in these areas. In Mata de Grota, the consumption of F. mexiae was more pronounced, on the other hand, in Mata Grande, S. swartzianum presented more expressive consumption in relation to the other area. Sturnira lilium presented 71.8% of Solanaceae in its diet. This family also predominated in the diet of C. perspicillata (53.8%). Ficus mexiae was the plant species consumed by a larger number of bat species, being an exclusive item in the diet of A. lituratus, A. fimbriatus and Platyrrhinus recifinus, and predominated in the diet of P. lineatus. The family Solanaceae was the more frequent over the months. The consumption of F. mexiae in large amounts in a few months along the year suggests that some species dislocate to the park during these periods. With a view to the ecological importance of Phyllostomidae bats, the lack of studies about bat fauna in high altitude areas makes difficult the knowledge of community structure in these areas. Thus, additional studies on bat fauna from high altitude areas can provide information in order to prioritize areas for the conservation of individuals from Chiroptera order.