VARIATION IN DIET OF THE GRAY BAT (MYOTIS-GRISESCENS)

During spring and summer 1991, a total of 1,476 fresh fecal pellets of gray bats, Myotis grisescens, was collected at Blowing Wind Cave, Jac kson Co., Alabama. Fourteen orders of Insecta, unidentified Insecta, a n unknown organism (possibly Insecta), two orders of Arachnida, and ha ir fi-om gray bats were recovered; in decreasing order, the most commo n taxa were Lepidoptera, Diptera, and Coleoptera. Food categories exhi bited significant variation among sampling sessions, nights within sam pling sessions, and hours within sampling sessions. When quantity of e ach food category in fecal pellets was compared with quantity of poten tial prey available for consumption, there was no statistically signif icant correlation. There was significant variation in diet over time, but bats did not select prey in proportion to availability.