Prey Interception: Predictive and Nonpredictive Strategies

Abstract

Insectivorous bats use echolocation as their sole source of information to detect, locate, approach and capture flying insects. Although the sequence of behaviors they go through is relatively sterotyped (Webster, 1967b; Kick and Simmons, 1984), much remains unknown about how bats accomplish this incredible feat. I am particularly concerned here with what bats do with the positional information they obtain about a target by echolocation: how does a bat choose its flight path so as eventually to intercept the target?