Food and ectoparasites of bats on the Galapagos Islands

The estimated volume of food (feces and stomach contents combined) from 11 red bats, Lasiurus (borealis) brachyotis, from the Galapagos Islands consis ted of 86.8% Lepidoptera and included six different prey items. The diet of three hoary bats, L. cinereus villosissimus, consisted of 76.8% Lepidopter a and contained at least eight identifiable food taxa. Two species of ectop arasites were found on both bat species, a batfly Basilia ferruginia (Nycte ribiidae), and a labidocarpid mite Olabidocarpus americanus. The macronyssi d mite Steatonyssus furmani was found only on L. (b.) brachyotis, whereas t wo myobiid mites, Acanthophthirius lasiurus and Pteracarus completus, were found only on L. cinereus. None of the parasites had recognizably diverged from their mainland counterparts.