MOTH SOUNDS AND THE INSECT-CATCHING BEHAVIOR OF BATS

Abstract

Captive bats trained to catch mealworms tossed in midair turned away from most of these targets when simultaneously confronted with a recorded train of the ultrasonic pulses generated by an Arctiid moth. When similarly exposed to the recorded echolocation pulses of another bat, presented at the same intensity as the "moth" sounds, they were not so affected.