We conducted short-term bat surveys as part. of an inventory program a
t 23 sites in 12 mountain ranges of west-central Nevada during the sum
mer of 1994. With this information, we compared the number of bat spec
ies identified through direct capture in mistnets with the number dete
cted ultrasonically by their echolocation calls. The average number of
species detected per site did not differ between the 2 techniques, bu
t neither technique identified all of the bat species present at all s
ites. Because both mist-netting and ultrasonic detection may incomplet
ely sample bat communities, we advise using both techniques when condu
cting surveys for bat species presence.