Impact of artificial lighting on capture success in two species of frugivorous bats (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) in an urban locality from the Venezuelan andes

Abstract

Artificial light is becoming a major issue for bats because it affects critical activities such as foraging, reproduction, and communication. We assessed the effect of artificial lighting on Artibeus lituratus and Artibeus jamaicensis in a small secondary growth forest patch near a street subjected to unexpected illumination. Bats were captured in the forest patch using a 12-m long mist net. Results indicated a nearly six-fold, significant decrease in capture success after the street lamps were installed. Artificial light from street lamps functions as a “light barrier” that inhibits bats from conducting short and long-distance movements, which might have detrimental consequences for bats and the plants they disperse.