Shifts in Assemblage of Foraging Bats at Mammoth Cave National Park following Arrival of White-nose Syndrome

White-nose syndrome (WNS), which arrived in North America in 2006, has significantly altered the foraging bat assemblage at Mammoth Cave National Park. A study analyzing mist net capture data from 2009 to 2016 revealed a notable shift in species abundance. The Northern Long-eared Myotis (Myotis septentrionalis), once the most common species, declined to 18.5% of its pre-WNS levels. Conversely, the Evening Bat (Nycticeius humeralis) showed the largest increase in capture success post-WNS arrival, followed by the Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus) and Eastern Red Bat (Lasiurus borealis). These changes suggest that WNS is reshaping foraging bat communities, with less affected species potentially occupying niche space vacated by those severely impacted by the disease. The study highlights the broader ecological implications of WNS on forest-dwelling bats.

Thalken, M. M., Lacki, M. J., & Johnson, J. S. (2018). Shifts in Assemblage of Foraging Bats at Mammoth Cave National Park following Arrival of White-nose Syndrome. Northeastern Naturalist, 25(2), 202–214. https://doi.org/10.1656/045.025.0203