Decoding the Diets of the Lesser Asiatic Yellow Bat, Scotophilus kuhlii Leach, 1821 From Malaysia: Molecular Insights Into Insectivorous Feeding Preferences Using Cytochrome Oxidase c Subunit I ( COI ) Sequences

ABSTRACT The lesser Asiatic yellow bat ( Scotophilus kuhlii ) is an abundant insectivorous bat species that thrives in altered landscapes in Malaysia. However, the dietary composition of this species remains poorly understood. Therefore, this study aimed to identify insect fragments present in the feces of insectivorous bats using a molecular approach to infer the dietary composition of S. kuhlii . DNA barcoding methods were employed using cytochrome c oxidase subunit I ( COI ) gene sequences. DNA was extracted from the fecal samples of S. kuhlii , and the obtained COI sequences were compared based on percentage similarity using BOLD and GenBank databases. Out of 100 insect fragments analyzed, 23 fragments were identified, representing 10 genera and two species detected in the diet of S. kuhlii . Interestingly, several insect taxa identified in the diet, including Bactrocera sp., Geomyphilus sp., Leptocimex inordinatus , and Vespa sp., are recognized as insect pests. These findings suggest that S. kuhlii plays an important role as a natural pest controller, and further investigation of its diet could provide valuable ecological insights.