Rhinolophus sp Iron Range - bat ecology and conservation research.webp

Ecology & Conservation of Bats

Bats make up around one-quarter of all the mammals on Earth, and play key ecosystem functions such as arthropod control and pollination. April Reside has worked with bats in Australia, southern Africa, Papua New Guinea and South America. April's work with Professor Ara Monadjem at the University of Eswatini involved bat research primarily in the lowveld savannas, but also across the length of Mozambique. She spent nights radio tracking the Egyptian slit-faced bat (Nycteris thebaica), investigating the importance of riparian areas for savanna bat communities, and surveying across Swaziland, South Africa and Mozambique.

April's Honours research found that the two freetail bat species of north-eastern Victoria play an important role in controlling the agricultural pest the Rutherglen Bug.

Beneficial Bats: Enhancing Pest Control and Bat Conservation

The value of insectivorous bats to agriculture is well understood in many regions; and management strategies have been proposed for enhancing bat pest control services. Yet, empirical evidence for the effectiveness of strategies for increasing bat pest control is largely lacking. Furthermore, concerns for the impact of pesticides on bat health are not often adequately addressed. Australia is a world leader in biodiversity decline and extinction, and has only just begun to investigate the agricultural pest control services of bats. Australia is also heavily reliant on pesticides and the agricultural sector faces many challenges of pesticide resistance. We are addressing these research needs through exploring the global state of research on bat pest control services, and evaluating the current state of knowledge on effectiveness and feasibility of management strategies, through collaborations across 12 countries. From these we are bringing together learnings from across the globe to inform priorities for Australia’s shift towards farming with greater biodiversity, productivity and health outcomes. We led a symposium and workshop on this topic at the International Bat Research Conference in 2025 and look forward to building on these collaborations into the future.

We have active research projects investigating the role bats are playing in vegetable crops and Macadamia orchards in Queensland.

Relevant Publications

Monadjem, A., Reside, A., & Lumsden, L. (2007). Echolocation calls of rhinolophid and hipposiderid bats in Swaziland. South African Journal of Wildlife Research, 37(1), 9-15.
Monadjem, A., & Reside, A. (2008). The influence of riparian vegetation on the distribution and abundance of bats in an African savanna. Acta Chiropterologica, 10(2), 339-348.
Monadjem, A., Reside, A., Cornut, J., & Perrin, M. R. (2009). Roost selection and home range of an African insectivorous bat Nycteris thebaica (Chiroptera, Nycteridae). Mammalia, 73(4), 353-359.
Monadjem, A., Mtsetfwa, F., Shapiro, J. T., Reside, A. E., & McCleery, R. A. (2017). Acoustic call library and detection distances for bats of Swaziland. Acta Chiropterologica, 19(1), 175–187.
Reside, A. E., & Lumsden, L. F. (2011). Resource partitioning by two closely-related sympatric freetail bats, Mormopterus spp. In B. Law, P. Eby, D. Lunney, & L. F. Lumsden (Eds.), The Biology and Conservation of Australian Bats (pp. 155-166): Royal Zoological Society of NSW, Mosman, NSW, Australia
Reside, A. E., Vanderduys, E. P., Fabricius, K. E., & Evans-Illidge, L. (2015). The unfortunate end of a bare-rumped sheathtail bat (Saccolaimus saccolaimus subspecies nudicluniatus) roost on Magnetic Island. Australasian Bat Society Newsletter, 45, 19-21.
Reside, A. E., Mtsetfwa, F., Clawson, S., Vanderduys, E. P., & Monadjem, A. (2014). Batting in Swaziland 2014. Australasian Bat Society Newsletter, 43, 15-16.
Inkster, T., & Reside, A. E. (2011). Bat girls vs. the Papua New Guinea Jungle: an adventure story. The Australasian Bat Society Newsletter, 37, 25-29.
Monadjem, A., & Reside, A. E. (2007). Common Bats of the Niassa Reserve. Brochure by All Out Africa Research Unit, Swaziland.
Monadjem, A., & Reside, A. E. (2007). Bats recorded from Tembe Elephant Park, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. African Bat Conservation News, 13, 2-3.
Reside, A. E. (2006). Bat research in Swaziland. African Bat Conservation News, 9, 2.
Reside, A. E. (2006). Swazi Bats. Australian Bat Society Newsletter, 26, 52-53.
Reside, A. E. (2005). Bats in the canal: studies in Gatun Lake, Panama. Australian Bat Society Newsletter, 24, 33-35
Reside, A. E. (2003). Lamin’asa Fiarovana Ramanavy (Conservation of Malagasy Microchiroptera). Australian Bat Society Newsletter, 13, 10-11

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