The tricolored bat is insectivorous, consuming small prey of 4–10 mm (0.16–0.39 in) in length. Prey taxa include mosquitoes, beetles, ants, moths, and cicadas. It forages with slow, erratic flight in areas near water or forest edges.[1] It is one of the first bat species to begin foraging each night.[2] It navigates and searches for prey via echolocation (sonar).