The evening bat is one of the smaller bat species (microchiroptera), and one of the two most common in Florida, along with the Brazilian Freetail Bat (Tadarida brasiliensis). Evening bats generally weigh less than half an ounce, and their tiny bodies fit easily into the palm of a hand. With a wingspan of about eight inches, evening bats appear to be much larger in flight. Their wings are formed by a membrane called a PATAGIUM, which stretches between their body and elongated fingers. Evening bats also have a UROPATAGIUM that stretches between their legs. They sometimes use this wide "tail" to catch insects. They are INSECTIVOROUS, their diet consisting of beetles, planthoppers, true bugs, flies, mosquitoes, flying termites, flying ants and other insects. The evening bat has a somewhat short lifespan (for bats) of about ten years. Some species of bats live over thirty years.