Voracious insect-eaters are also important pollinators. (This article originally appeared in the October 17, 2024 edition of the San Diego Union-Tribune) In many cultures, extending back millennia, bats have been associated with the devil, witchcraft and evil-doers. Their nocturnal activities have spurned countless myths about malevolent behavior: Ancient Judaic texts referred to them as “unclean”; indigenous North Americans considered them tricksters; the Aztecs saw them as symbols of death and destruction; many African tribes feared being attacked and killed by bats if they ventured out at night.