Effect of Fungi Presence on Wing Morphometry and Flight Behaviour in the Common Pipistrelle Bats (Pipistrellus pipistrellus)

Abstract

Bats play an important role in ecosystem function, serving as a biocontrol agent of insects and pollination in plants, hence the need to understand the factors affecting their health and performance. Infestation of fungi has been identified as a potential threat to populations of mammals, especially bats, yet their specific effects on wing morphology and flight behavior remain understudied. In this study, swabs of Pipistrellus pipistrellus bat wings were taken from bat carers around the United Kingdom. For identification, samples were exposed to conventional PCR using fungal-specific primers to amplify the ribosomal DNA's internal transcribed spacer (ITS). The wind morphometric parameters such as wing angles (maximum, minimum, mean, and amplitude) and wing frequency were determined for both wings with fungi infestation and without fungi infestation. A rain cloud distribution plot with a box plot was used to determine the distribution of flight parameters of the wings. A principal component analysis biplot was used to determine the relationship between the flight parameters in terms of wings with infestation by fungi and without infestation. The findings in this study are important to bat biology, ecology, and conservation and give insights into the need for wildlife management and conservation, ultimately contributing to the ongoing efforts to preserve bat populations and support ecological balance in diverse ecosystems.