Influence of New Zealand and European Bat Lure Stimuli on Harp‐Trap Capture Rates of Pekapeka (New Zealand Bats)

New Zealand bats (pekapeka), comprising the long‐tailed bat ( Chalinolobus tuberculatus ) and the lesser short‐tailed bat ( Mystacina tuberculata ), are the country's only extant terrestrial mammals. Effective capture techniques are important for ecological research, monitoring and conservation management of these species. Acoustic lures are increasingly used to improve bat capture success, but little work has examined how lure design might be optimised for New Zealand bats. We compared capture rates during paired harp‐trapping trials using two acoustic lure stimulus sequences in three locations in Southland, New Zealand. One lure call sequence was derived from New Zealand bat social calls and the other derived from European bat social calls. Across 62 paired trap‐nights (31 trials), 58 bats were captured. Long‐tailed bats comprised most captures (70.7%), while lesser short‐tailed bats accounted for 29.3%. Traps broadcasting New Zealand‐derived lure stimuli captured bats significantly more frequently than traps broadcasting European‐derived stimuli. However, the number of bats captured per successful trap‐night did not differ between European and New Zealand lure sequences. These findings suggest that lure call origin may influence the probability of capturing bats, but not the number of bats captured. This study provides a preliminary assessment of acoustic lure performance and contributes to ongoing efforts to optimise capture techniques for New Zealand bat research.