Can tree weta detect terrestrial bats

Abstract

Interactions between insects and bats are well-known examples of predator-prey co-evolution. For example, moths have evolved hearing abilities that allow them to respond to sounds in the ultrasound range, thus enabling them to detect the echolocation calls of hunting bats and perform evasive manoeuvres (Roeder 1998). Although New Zealand insects are preyed upon by endemic bats, no studies have examined whether they possess similar strategies for predator avoidance. If auditory information is used to detect and avoid predation, then the frequencies of greatest sensitivity of the auditory organ are predicted to correspond to the echolocation frequency (or other hunting-related sounds) produced by predatory bats. New Zealand has two endemic bats, the long tailed bat (Chalinolobus tuberculatus) and lesser short tailed bat (Mystacina tuberculata). Long tailed bats are typical aerial insectivores and are not known to prey on weta.