FORAGING AND REPRODUCTIVE ECOLOGY IN A
 PANAMANIAN BAT COMMUNITY

 FRANK J. BONACCORSO'


SYNOPSIS: Resource partitioning, reproduction, and community structure in a tropical
moist forest community of 35 bat species were studied on Barro Colorado Island,
Panama Canal Zone. Over a three-year span 2884 bats were captured, banded, and
released; data were collected on food habits, activity cycles, habitat selection, and
reproductive timing. Information on seasonality and abundance of fruit, flower, and in-
sect resources used by bats also was collected.
 Fluctuating levels of food resources require that many bat species utilize different
habitats and foraging strategies through a year. Competitive interactions, predator
avoidance, and climatic fluctuations further influence foraging strategies. The bat com-
munity is divided into nine feeding guilds on the basis of diet and method of food pro-
curement. Within the most complex guilds food resources are partitioned temporarily,
specially, and by size and quality. Within the simplest guilds food resources are parti-
tioned primarily by particle size.
 Reproduction coincides with high levels of food availability. Species utilizing food
sources abundant over most of the year have two litters per year.

 TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION .................................... .................. 360
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .. .... ..................................... 361
STUDY AREA .... ............. .............................. ....... 361
M ATERIALS AND M ETHODS ............................................... 361
PHENOLOGY OF FOOD RESOURCES ......... ...................... .......... 363
RESOURCE PARTITIONING ... ....... ........... . .. ................... 365
 CANOPY FRUGIVORE GUILD ............. ......... .................. 368
 GROUNDSTORY FRUGIVORE GUILD .......... .......................... 377
 SCAVENGING (OR JUICER) FRUGIVORE GUILD ............... ............ 380
 NECTAR-POLLEN-FRUIT-INSECT OMNIVORE GUILD ........................ 381
 SANGUIVORE GUILD ............. ....................... ......... 383
 GLEANING CARNIVORE GUILD ....................................... 385
 SLOW-FLYING HAWKING INSECTIVORE GUILD ............... ........... 388
 REPRODUCTION ........... .... .. ........... .............. .......... 390
 CANOPY FRUGIVORE GUILD ........... ............................... 391
 GROUNDSTORY FRUGIVORE GUILD .......... ....... ................... 393
 SCAVENGING FRUGIVORE GUILD ................... ................ 394
 NECTAR-POLLEN-FRUIT-INSECT OMNIVORE GUILD ....................... 394
 SANGUIVORE GUILD ...................................... ......... 394
 GLEANING CARNIVORE GUILD ................. ................... 395
 SLOW-FLYING HAWKING INSECTIVORE GUILD ............... ........... 396
 DISCUSSION............. ............ .................................. 397
 DIVERSITY AND PHENOLOGY ................... .................. 397
 FORAGING AND REPRODUCTIVE STRATEGIES ............... ............ 399
 LITERATURE CITED ................... .......... .................... .. 406


 'The author is Adjunct Assistant Professor, Biology Department, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Eau Claire,
 Winconsin 54701. This study was submitted as partial fulfillment of the Ph.D. degree in the Department of Zoology,
 University of Florida, Gainesville, 32611.
 BONACCORSO, FRANK J. 1978. Foraging and Reproductive Ecology in a
 Panamanian Bat Community. Bull. Florida State Mus., Biol. Sci. Vol. 24(4):359-408.