Insectivorous bats play an important role in ecosystem as insect controller. In this study, diet composition of Kitti’s hog-nosed bats at Phra cave in the area of Plant Genetic Conservation Project under the Royal Initiative of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, Sai Yok district, Kanchanaburi province was investigated using DNA barcode to identify the insect groups from their faeces. The cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene was amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using insect-specific primers (ZBJ-ArtF1c and ZBJ-ArtR2c). Results from the next-generation sequencing (NGS) revealed that Kitti’s hog-nosed bats prey mainly on insects in order Lepidoptera which composed of many families such as Noctuidae, Hyblaeidae, Geometridae, Depressariidae and Oecophoridae. Other insects like crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) and stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) were also found in bat diets. Some insect pests e.g. Hyblaea puera, a native moth considered as one of the major teak pests, could be identified from this study. This highlights the role of this bat species as not only an insect controller but also a pest controller in ecosystem.
