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Adenoviruses are double-strained DNA viruses found in a great number of vertebrates, including humans. In order to understand their transmission dynamics, it is crucial, even from a human health perspective, to investigate how host traits influence their prevalence. Bats are important reservoirs for adenoviruses, and here we use the results of recent screenings in Western Europe to evaluate the association between characteristic traits of bat species and their probability of hosting adenoviruses, taking into account their phylogenetic relationships. Across species, we found an important phylogenetic component in the presence of adenoviruses and mating strategy as the most determinant factor conditioning the prevalence of adenoviruses across bat species. Contrary to other more stable mating strategies (e.g. harems), swarming could hinder transmission of adenoviruses since this strategy implies that contacts between individuals are too short. Alternatively, bat species with more promiscuous behavior may develop a stronger immune system. Outstandingly high prevalence of adenoviruses was reported for the Iberian species Pipistrellus pygmaeus, P. kuhlii and Nyctalus lasiopterus and we found that in the latter, males were more likely to be infected by adenoviruses than females, due to the immunosuppressing consequence of testosterone during the mating season. As a general trend across species, we found that the number of adenoviruses positive individuals was different across localities and that the difference in prevalence between populations was correlated with their geographic distances for two of the three studied bat species (P. pygmaeus and P.kuhlii). These results increase our knowledge about the transmission mechanisms of adenoviruses.

Gaps in the forest canopy appear to play a major role in local species richness as they increase habitat heterogeneity and border effects. In the case of bats, these small clearings seem to play an important role as foraging and commuting sites. However, further research is required to set the actual role of forest gaps on bat biology in order to consider them as conservation targets in forest management. In this study, we test whether bat species richness and activity are higher in gaps within a large Scot pine (Pinus sylvestris) forest than in the adjacent tree covered control sites. We also test these differences in the forest specialists since this group is particularly sensitive to forest management. To investigate this, we used bat detectors in 9 gaps and their adjacent control points during ten nights in July - August 2016 and 2017. The trends resulting from the analysis of 228,108 bat calls support that species richness and activity of bat assemblages were higher in gaps than in the adjacent control points. A similar pattern was detected in the most sensitive tree dwelling bat species. These results stress the importance of gaps as useable areas for the forest bat assemblages and suggest the interest of managing gaps for bat conservation within large areas of continuous tree cover., Comunidad de Madrid/Fondo Social Europeo, Depto. de Biodiversidad, Ecología y Evolución, Fac. de Ciencias Biológicas, TRUE, pub

Cryptic speciation and hybridization are two key processes that affect the origin and maintenance of biodiversity and our ability to understand and estimate it. To determine how these two processes interact, we studied allopatric and sympatric colonies of two cryptic bat species (Eptesicus serotinus and Eptesicus isabellinus) with parapatric distribution in the Iberian Peninsula. These species are the main reservoir for the most commonly rabies virus found in bats in Europe: the European bat Lyssavirus type 1 (EBLV-1). We used mtDNA and nuclear microsatellite markers to confirm the taxonomic status of both species and to show a more pronounced and geographically based genetic structure in E. isabellinus than in its sibling E. serotinus. Using approximate Bayesian computation (ABC), we inferred rapid range expansion in both species after the Last Glacial Maximum until reaching their present distributions. ABC analysis also supported interspecific differences in genetic diversity and structure, pointing to an earlier expansion of E. isabellinus northward. We found no evidence of mitochondrial introgression between species, but nuclear markers identified a male-mediated ongoing asymmetric hybridization from E. isabellinus to E. serotinus (28% hybrids in E. serotinus and 5% in E. isabellinus) in the contact zone. Although none of the bats studied tested positive for Lyssavirus RNA, the asymmetric hybridization supports the potential for the recently suggested interspecific transmission of EBLV-1 from E. isabellinus into E. serotinus.

This survey was carried out in June and July 2009 to identify the bat species and monitor their foraging activity in various habitats of Quintos de Mora's farm, Toledo, Central Spain. Nine species were identified: Myotis daubentonii, Myotis escalerai, Myotis myotis/M. bythii, Eptesicus serotinus/E. isabellinus, Pipistrellus pipistrellus, Pipistrellus pygmaeus, Pipistrellus kuhlii, Hypsugo savii and Tadarida teniotis. We carried out 10 trapping sessions that allowed us to capture 28 individuals belonging to 7 species. Reproduction data were obtained from all species except M. daubentonii and M. escalerai. Ultrasound recordings gathered during 2,637 minutes provided 2,471 bat passes and 501 feeding buzzes. Total numbers o fboth bat passes and feeding buzzes were higher over water sites (ponds, reservoir) than in other habitats. Conifer plantations (Pinus pinaster) and Mediterranean macchia were respectively the most and the least used habitats by bats. All species were recorded in more than one habitat, although some of them (M. myotis/M blythii, M daubentonii, E. serotinus/E. isabellinus and T. teniotis) were not located in all habitat types. P. kuhlii were the most frequently recorded bats (54,8% of bat passes and 60,3% of feeding buzzes belonged to this species) and they were more and less frequently recorded in conifer plantations of Pinus pinaster and Quercus faginea respectively., El trabajo se ha desarrollado durante los meses de junio y julio de 2009 para determinar la fauna de quirópteros y comparar la actividad de caza en los hábitat más representativos de la finca Quintos de Mora, en la provincia de Toledo. En total se han registrado 9 especies: Myotis daubentonii, Myotis escalerai, Myotis myotis/M. bythii, Eptesicus serotinus/E. isabellinus, Pipistrellus pipistrellus, Pipistrellus pygmaeus, Pipistrellus kuhlii, Hypsugo savii y Tadarida teniotis. Se han realizado 10 sesiones de captura que han proporcionado 28 ejemplares de 7 especies, de todas ellas a excepción de M. daubentonii y M escalerai se han obtenido datos de reproducción. Las grabaciones de los registros acústicos han proporcionado 2.471 pases y 501 tentativas de caza en un periodo de muestreo de 2.637 minutos. En los puntos de agua (charcas, embalse) se obtuvieron el mayor número de pases y de tentativas de caza. Las plantaciones de coníferas (Pinus pinaster) y las áreas constituidas por vegetación rala (matorrales y pastos) fueron los hábitat más y menos utilizados respectivamente. Todas las especies fueron detectadas en más de un hábitat, aunque algunas de ellas (M myotis/M. blythii, M. daubentonii, E. serotinus/E. isabellinus y T. teniotis) no fueron localizadas en todos. P. kuhlii con el 54,8% de los pases registrados y el 60,3% de las tentativas de caza fue la especie más ftecuente y sus hábitat más y menos utilizados fueron respectivamente las plantaciones de Pinus pinaster y los quejigares (Quercus faginea).