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Mating system of a Neotropical roost-making bat: the white-throated, round-eared bat, Lophostoma silvicolum (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae)

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Abstract

The vast majority of bats strongly depend on, but do not make, shelters or roosts. We investigated Lophostoma silvicolum, which roosts in active termite nests excavated by the bats themselves, to study the relationship between roost choice and mating systems. Due to the hardness of the termite nests, roost-making is probably costly in terms of time and energy for these bats. Video-observations and capture data showed that single males excavate nests. Only males in good physical condition attracted females to the resulting roosts. Almost all groups captured from excavated nests were single male-multifemale associations, suggesting a harem structure. Paternity assignments based on ten polymorphic microsatellites, revealed a high reproductive success of 46% by nest-holding males. We suggest that the mating system of L. silvicolum is based on a resource-defense polygyny. The temperatures in the excavated nests are warm and stable, and might provide a suitable shelter for reproductive females. Reproductive success achieved by harem males appears to justify the time and effort required to excavate the nests. Reproductive success may thus have selected on an external male phenotype, the excavated nests, and have contributed to the evolution of an otherwise rare behavior in bats.

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Acknowledgements

This project was supported by grants from the Roche Research Foundation and the ZUNIV-Fonds zur Förderung des Akademischen Nachwuchses (FAN). The Julius-Klaus-Stiftung (Zürich) and the Brachet Foundation (Belgium) financed the genetic analyses. We are grateful to the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) and the National Authority for the Environment (ANAM) for research permits, which ensured that all work was carried out in concordance with current Panamanian laws. We also want to thank the staff of Barro Colorado Island, especially the game wardens, for their support. The following people helped with fieldwork, development of equipment and/or with data analysis: A. Beck, M. Demir, S. Heucke, M. Kalka, J. Mandel, F. Neuhäuser-Wespy, K. and K. Safi, A. Schulz, M. Weinbeer, S. Wetterich, and especially A. Lang, S. Spehn, and C. Weise. Special thanks for help with the genetic work are owed to J. Garbely and T. Garner. We also thank J. Bradbury, L. di Iorio, T. Kunz, G. McCracken, A. McElligott, G. Wilkinson, and an anonymous reviewer for valuable comments on the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Zoologisches Institut, Universität Zürich-Irchel, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 , Zürich, Switzerland

    D. K. N. Dechmann, B. König & G. Kerth

  2. Experimental Ecology, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, 89069 , Ulm, Germany

    D. K. N. Dechmann & E. K. V. Kalko

  3. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, P.O. Box 2072, Balboa, Panama

    E. K. V. Kalko

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  1. D. K. N. Dechmann
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Correspondence to D. K. N. Dechmann.

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Communicated by G. Wilkinson

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Dechmann, D.K.N., Kalko, E.K.V., König, B. et al. Mating system of a Neotropical roost-making bat: the white-throated, round-eared bat, Lophostoma silvicolum (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 58, 316–325 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-005-0913-y

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