Artificial light reduces the visitation of nectar-feeding bats to Musa balbisiana flowers, a preliminary study in Yunnan, China

The impact of artificial light on bat activity has been extensively studied in insect-eating bats but remains incomplete for fruit bats, particularly nectar-feeding bats, which play a crucial role in pollination. In the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden rainforest, we illuminated Musa balbisiana inflorescences with various lights to examine the effects on nectar-feeding bats' foraging activity. Our results indicated that both white and red lights negatively affected bat visitation. The average number of bat visits over 2 hours in the evening decreased from 12.4 ± 9.5 with no light to 7.9 ± 7.3 with infrared light, 1.8 ± 2.6 with red light, and zero visits with white light. Consequently, the proliferation of artificial lights worldwide could reduce the ecosystem services provided by these bats. During the study, Macroglossus sobrinus Andersen, a nectar-dependent bat, was captured using mist nets, and two other potential bat species were observed and discussed.