Meaning
A large, dark moth — 'bat' being the Jamaican word for a moth or butterfly, so a duppy bat is a spirit-moth. It takes its name from the old belief that such a big moth flying into the house at night is a visiting duppy, the spirit of a dead person come with a message or an omen. People treat its appearance warily, reading it as a sign, and the duppy bat belongs to the whole folk world of duppies, omens, and the messages the dead are thought to send the living.
Examples
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A big duppy bat fly inna di house last night.
A big moth flew into the house last night.
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Granny seh a duppy bat mean somebody a go send news.
Granny says a duppy moth means someone will send news.
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Di pickney dem fraid a di black duppy bat.
The children are afraid of the big black moth.
Origin
'Bat' in Patois means a moth or butterfly; 'duppy' is a ghost — the large dark moth is linked in folklore to visiting spirits of the dead. See [[duppy]].
How it’s used
Reflects the folk belief tying moths to spirits. Remember 'bat' = moth/butterfly in Patois, not the flying mammal (that's a 'rat-bat').