The Smoky Bat, Amorphochilus schnablii, is a poorly known furipterid bat species endemic to the west coast of Ecuador, Peru, and the extreme north of Chile. The occurrence of this species in Chile has been limited to a single report from the year 1950, in the locality of Cuya in the Camarones valley, Arica, and Parinacota region. Based on acoustic surveys, we report here a new record of A. schnablii for the Camarones valley filling a gap of 71 years with no records. We also present a description of its echolocation calls.

Although 13 species of the genus Eumops have been documented in South America, none of them had been previously reported in Chile. Based on acoustic surveys, we report here the first record of this genus for the country. Fourteen echolocation sequences of the Western mastiff bat (Eumops perotis) were recorded in the valleys of Azapa, Lluta, and Camarones in the Arica and Parinacota region, northern Chile. Echolocation calls of E. perotis can be distinguished from other bat species in the region by its lower frequency range, longer call duration, and interpulse intervals. This finding adds a new genus and species for Chile and increases the known bat diversity in the country to 17 species.

Davison's Mastiff Bat Promops davisoni is a poorly studied species, only present in Ecuador, Peru, and more recently in Chile, where its known geographic distribution is supported by very few records from the extreme north of the country. Using ultrasonic recordings, we reported new records of P. davisoni in northern Chile, extending its distribution range ca. 60 km southward to the Chaca and Camarones valleys in the province of Arica. Additionally, using Species Distribution Models, we predicted its potential distribution in the north of the country based on similar suitable habitats. The high number of recordings obtained in our study suggest a wide distribution and relative abundance of P. davisoni in the coastal valleys of the Arica province and surrounding urban areas, with a remarkable habitat diversity for populations of this species. In addition, our potential distribution models suggest its presence in other arid environments within the Atacama Desert. These data provide additional information on the current and potential distribution of P. davisoni and can be useful for further studies to better understand the biology and population dynamics of the species, as well as the design of conservation and management strategies.

The bat fauna from the extreme north of Chile is poorly known, principally due to a lack of dedicated surveys. To better assess the diversity of bats there, we conducted acoustic surveys at Arica city and three coastal valleys (Azapa, Lluta and Camarones) in the Arica and Parinacota region, Chile. We obtained 82 acoustic records of the Peale's free-tailed bat (Nyctinomops aurispinosus) in nine sites within the region. This species had not been previously documented in Chile but was known from adjacent Tacna province, Peru. Echolocation calls of N. aurispinosus can be distinguished from other molossid bat species occurring in the area by its lower frequency range. Our data suggest a wide distribution of N. aurispinosus across the coastal valleys of the Arica and Parinacota region, where they were active in both natural and anthropized habitats. This southernmost record of N. aurispinosus for the Pacific coast, extends its known range ca. 150 km southward, and increases up to 15 the number of bat species in Chile.

Bat populations are threatened in many regions of the world, partly due to the loss of foraging and commuting habitats in farmland and declines in insect prey populations caused by agricultural intensification. Given that bats play an important role as bioindicators and in suppressing crop pests, it is crucial to mitigate negative impacts that arise from these threats. In this study we evaluated the richness, quantified at family level, and abundance of bat prey insects in organic vineyards surrounded by three types of adjacent habitat: urban/semi-urban areas, exotic tree plantations, and remnants of native vegetation. The relationship between the abundance of prey and the foraging activity of bats in the vineyards was also examined. Insects were sampled using ultraviolet light traps, located both inside and at the edge of the vineyards. Bat activity was monitored at each site using acoustic recorders. The insect richness was unaffected by the type of adjacent habitat and did not differ between the edge and the interior of the vineyards. In contrast, insect abundance was significantly influenced by the type of adjacent habitat. Vineyards adjacent to native vegetation and exotic tree plantations showed the highest abundances for most insect orders present in the bat diet compared to urban areas. Bat activity was significantly correlated with the abundance of Coleoptera and Lepidoptera, with mixed effects between bat species (negative for Tadarida brasiliensis, positive for Lasiurus varius, Lasiurus villosissimus and Myotis chiloensis). Crop edges adjacent to native vegetation provides important foraging habitat for bats and should therefore be considered in agricultural management. Locating vineyards close to these habitats may promote bat conservation via increased prey insects and may also benefit winegrowers through the ecosystem services provided by insectivorous bats in this crop.

Conversion of natural land covers to agriculture is a major cause of the global biodiversity decline. Bats are an important component of biodiversity in agricultural landscapes because they provide pest control services. Although management recommendations towards the enhancement of insectivorous bat populations in agro-ecosystems have previously been highlighted, little information is available for promoting bat conservation within viticultural landscapes. In the present study, we examined the role of the adjacent habitat on bat activity in vineyards of central Chile. We also evaluated differences in bat activity between the edges and the interiors of the vineyards in relation to the type of adjacent habitat. To accomplish this, we conducted acoustic surveys along edge and the interior of 16 vineyards bordering different adjacent habitats. Overall bat activity in vineyards was not influenced by the adjacent habitat type, but it was by the location within the vineyard; edges showed significant higher activity than the interior of the vineyards. Vineyards adjacent to native vegetation showed the highest levels of activity for Lasiurus varius, Lasiurus villosissimus and Myotis chiloensis compared to those adjacent to monoculture or urban areas. All bat species were most active at the edges of the vineyards as compared to the interior, which increase the probability of this group providing ecosystem services in vineyards. Therefore, vineyard edges, in particular those adjacent to native vegetation, should be considered as part of agricultural management in order to promote bat diversity and abundance in this crop.

The AtacamaMyotisis an endangered and poorly studied bat species, endemic from Peru and Chile. Using mist nets and ultrasonic recordings we release new information on activity patterns and roost use byM. atacamensisin Chile. We also report new records for the species, extending its distribution range to Santiago Metropolitan region. Our results suggest a wide distribution and relative abundance ofM. atacamensisin northern Chile, in addition to remarkable habitat diversity for populations of this species. Bats were active in both natural and anthropogenic habitats. Abandoned mines and buildings in rural villages were the roosts most used by the species. These data provide additional information on the distribution, ecology, and natural history ofM. atacamensisand can be useful in the design of conservation action plans for populations in the country.

The top-down suppression of pest insects by their natural enemies, such as insectivorous bats, represents an important ecosystem service in agricultural systems. Recognizing the importance of bats to suppress pest populations and further conserve their populations near agricultural systems could reduce damage to crops thereby potentially increasing the monetary gain of farmers. Viticulture represents one of the most extensive and economically important agricultural crops in the Mediterranean biome. While pest consumption by bats has been recently revealed in vineyards, direct evidence of the reduction of grapevine pests by bats in vineyards is lacking, and their benefits to winegrape production remains to be quantified. Using large nocturnal exclosures in vineyards, we examined the top-down effects of aerial insectivorous bats in suppressing insect populations by assessing leaf and grape cluster damage; we also examined the benefit of these natural pest predators by quantifying resulting increases in potential vineyard yield. Grapevine plants excluded from bats had significantly higher leaf herbivory and greater grape cluster damage than control plots. Grape cluster damage was 7% lower on control plots, yielding an average economic benefit of US$188-$248/ha/year due to bat predation. These results provide the first experimental evidence that bats reduce grapevine pest insect infections and thus increase vineyard yield and winegrowers' income. Therefore, bats should be included in future biodiversity conservation plans in vineyards and be considered within agricultural management strategies based on natural pest suppression.

Landscape composition and heterogeneity are considered important factors for enhancing biodiversity and their associated ecosystem services in human-modified landscapes. Despite their roles in pest suppression in agricultural areas, insectivorous bats have been poorly represented in studies assessing the effects of landscape structural changes, particularly in the Neotropics. We evaluated how the composition and heterogeneity of the landscape, at several spatial scales, influenced the diversity and activity of aerial insectivorous bats in organic vineyards. Bat activity was quantified using acoustic surveys at 16 vineyards distributed across the central zone of Chile, where landscape composition and heterogeneity were determined by spatial analysis (GIS). Data were analyzed using partial least square regressions (PLS). The diversity and activity of aerial insectivorous bats in vineyards increased with the compositional and configurational heterogeneity of the landscape. Bat diversity and species richness in vineyards increased as the area covered by native vegetation increased, and urban areas decreased. Total bat activity, feeding activity and the activity of the dominant species T. brasiliensis increased with the diversity of cover types in the landscape, and also as the area covered by annual crops and rural areas increased. This study highlights the importance of agricultural landscape composition and heterogeneity for aerial insectivorous bats in organic vineyards. Effective conservation efforts and management strategies in this crop should aim to increase cover diversification at the landscape scale. In addition, retaining native forest remnants around or within vineyards may promote bat conservation and their role as suppressors of crop pests in these production landscapes.

Agricultural intensification is one of the major causes for the global loss of biodiversity and associated ecosystem services. As an alternative to conventional farming, organic management is considered a way to mitigate some of the negative impacts on biodiversity in agricultural landscapes; however, their benefits for bats are not very conclusive. We investigated the hypothesis that organic farming benefits bats in vineyards by improving conditions for foraging through increased availability of prey. We also hypothesized that bat activity would vary between edges and the interior of vineyards in response to prey availability that in turn would be influenced by agricultural management. Bat activity was quantified along edge and the interior of each vineyard type by using acoustic surveys. In addition, we sampled nocturnal flying insects at each site using light traps. Species richness and overall bat activity were significantly higher in organic than conventional vineyards, with organic edges concentrating the highest bat activity. Our results suggest negative effects of agricultural intensification on insectivorous bats. The high bat activity along edges compared to the interior of vineyards suggest that these structural features of the landscape are important components for bat populations in vineyards, and therefore should be considered within agricultural management in order to promote bat abundance and their role as pest suppressors.