Neoromicia malagasyensis Peterson, Eger & Mitchell 1995

The Isalo serotine (Laephotis malagasyensis) is a vesper bat of Madagascar in the genus Laephotis. It is known only from the vicinity of the Isalo National Park in the southwestern part of the island, where it has been caught in riverine habitats. After the first specimen was caught in 1967, it was described as a subspecies of Eptesicus somalicus (now Neoromicia somalica) in 1995. After four more specimens were collected in 2002 and 2003, it was recognized as a separate species. Because of its small distribution and the threat of habitat destruction, it is considered "vulnerable" in the IUCN Red List.

Laephotis malagasyensis is a relatively small species, with a forearm length of 30 to 32 mm (1.2 to 1.3 in) and a body mass of 3.9 to 9 g (0.1 to 0.3 oz). The fur is dark brown above and mixed buff and gray below. The ears are translucent and the tibia is short. The baculum (penis bone) resembles that of N. melckorum, but is smaller.^[4] The duration of the echolocation call, which consists of a component with rapidly falling frequency and one showing more stable frequency, averages 4.9 ms and the interval between calls averages 69.1 ms.

Taxonomy

In their 1995 review of Malagasy bats, Randolph Peterson and colleagues established Eptesicus somalicus malagasyensis, a new subspecies of Eptesicus somalicus^[2] (currently Neoromicia somalica).^{[Note 1]} They had only a single specimen and noted that further material was needed to assess the new form's relationship with E. somalicus.^[6] Studies in 2001 and 2002 provided evidence that E. somalicus and related species are not closely related to Eptesicus (nor to Pipistrellus, where they have also been placed), so that these species were allocated to the separate genus Neoromicia.^[7] In 2004, Steven Goodman and Julie Ranivo reviewed the Malagasy subspecies after collecting two more specimens^[8] and concluded that it was distinct enough to be classified as a separate species, Neoromicia malagasyensis.^[3] Two years later, Paul Bates and colleagues reported on two more specimens^[9] and showed that the bacula (penis bones) of N. malagasyensis and N. somalica are different, providing further evidence that they are distinct species. However, they recommended that further research assess the degree of difference between N. malagasyensis and N. matroka (formerly in Eptesicus, but placed in Neoromicia by Bates and colleagues, and later placed in Laephotis), which occurs further east in Madagascar.^[10] The IUCN Red List currently again classifies the species in Eptesicus, as Eptesicus malagasyensis.^[1] In 2020, a phylogenetic analysis found it to belong to Laephotis as opposed to Neoromicia, and classified it as such.^[11][12]

Laephotis malagasyensis is one of at least six species of small vespertilionid bats ("pipistrelles") on Madagascar, in addition to L. matroka, L. robertsi, Pipistrellus hesperidus, P. raceyi, and Nycticeinops anchietae. The classification of these bats has historically been controversial, leading to many changing identifications and generic assignments.^[13] The genus Laephotis is exclusively African and included 4 species in the 2005 third edition of Mammal Species of the World;^[14] more species, like L. malagasyensis and L. matroka, have been added since. Common names proposed for this species include "Isalo Serotine"^[1] and "Peterson's 'pipistrelle'".^[10]

Description

Laephotis malagasyensis is a relatively small "pipistrelle",^[9] but larger than Neoromicia somalica.^[17] The fur on the back is long and dark brown and the underparts contain both gray and dark buff hairs; there, the fur becomes lighter towards the tail.^[10] The fur is darker than in N. somalica,^[6] but paler than in L. matroka.^[18] The brown ears are translucent.^[10] The tragus (a projection on the inner side of the outer ear) is similar to that of N. somalica, but may be a little narrower.^[17] Relative to the two other Malagasy Laephotis species, the tibia is short. A single baculum (penis bone), 2.2 mm long, has been studied. It resembles the baculum of L. robertsi, but is smaller. As in L. matroka, the distal (far) end is flat and displaced downwards, but the L. malagasyensis baculum has a smaller area and less well-developed flanges at the sides and a smaller vertical extension of the bone.^[10]

The skull is somewhat smaller than that of L. matroka^[10] and the braincase and palate are narrower.^[18] Compared to N. somalica, the skull is broader.^[6] The ridge on the lacrimal bone is better developed, the palate is broader, the frontal bones contain a depression and are swollen at the sides, the mastoid bones are smaller,^[17] and the coronoid and angular processes of the mandible (lower jaw) are more prominent.^[3]

The echolocation call of this species was reported in a 2007 study that consists of a component with rapidly falling frequency followed by one with more slowly changing frequency.^[19] The call takes 3.6 to 6.3 ms, averaging 4.9 ms, and the period between two calls is 34.2 to 94.4 ms, averaging 69.1 ms. The maximum frequency averages 79.8 kHz, the minimum frequency averages 40.5 kHz, and the call emits the most energy at a frequency of 45.7 kHz.^[20]

Distribution and ecology

Laephotis malagasyensis is known only from the vicinity of Isalo National Park, an area of about 2000 km² (800 sq mi), in interior southwestern Madagascar.^[1] The holotype was caught in 1967 in a mistnet set in a row of palms along a river in dry savannah habitat.^[21] Peterson and colleagues reported that it had been collected near the village of Marinday,^[2] but Goodman and Ranivo suggested that it may instead have come from near Ilakaka.^[8] Two specimens, a male and a female, were collected at different localities in Isalo National Park in early December 2002, both in mistnets near rivers. The male had enlarged testes and the female had recently stopped lactating and had large mammae.^[8] Two others followed in 2003, also from the national park, and caught in woodland near rivers.^[22] A 2009 study on echolocation described the call of six individuals of L. malagasyensis from an unspecified site within the national park.^[23] In view of its small known range and the threat of habitat destruction, the IUCN Red List assesses the species as "vulnerable"; further research is recommended on its roosting and dietary habits.^[1]

Notes

References

Neoromicia malagasyensis (Peterson, Eger & Mitchell, 1995) è un pipistrello della famiglia dei Vespertilionidi endemico del Madagascar.^[1][2]

Descrizione

Dimensioni

Pipistrello di piccole dimensioni, con la lunghezza totale tra 82 e 84 mm, la lunghezza dell'avambraccio tra 30 e 32 mm, la lunghezza della coda tra 27 e 37 mm, la lunghezza del piede tra 4 e 6 mm, la lunghezza delle orecchie tra 11 e 12 mm e un peso fino a 9 g.^[3]

Aspetto

La pelliccia è lunga e molto densa. Le parti dorsali sono marroni, mentre le parti ventrali sono bruno-olivastre. La base dei peli è ovunque più scura. Le orecchie sono marroni e semi-trasparenti. Il trago è lungo più della metà del padiglione auricolare ed è falciforme, con l'estremità arrotondata. La coda è lunga ed inclusa completamente nell'ampio uropatagio. Il calcar è provvisto di una robusta carenatura.

Ecolocazione

Emette ultrasuoni ad alto ciclo di lavoro sotto forma di impulsi di breve durata a frequenza modulata iniziale di 60,3–100 kHz, finale di 32,4-45,5 kHz e massima energia a 41,4–51 kHz.

Biologia

Alimentazione

Si nutre di insetti.

Distribuzione e habitat

Questa specie è conosciuta soltanto nella valle dell'Isalo, nella parte centro-meridionale del Madagascar.

Vive tra i 450 e i 700 metri di altitudine.

Tassonomia

Le popolazioni malgasce di questa specie furono originariamente descritte come sottospecie di Eptesicus somalicus (Petersen et al. 1995). Assegnata successivamente al genere Neoromicia, come sottospecie di Neoromicia somalica (N. somalica malagasyensis), ne è stata recentemente proposta la elevazione al rango di specie a sé stante; tale collocazione è stata confermata da due successive revisioni del genere Neoromicia.

Conservazione

La IUCN Red List, considerato l'areale limitato soltanto al massiccio Isalo dove probabilmente l'habitat è a rischio, classifica N.malagasyensis come specie in pericolo (Endangered).^[1]

Note

Bibliografia

• Daniel Bennet & John Russ, The Bats of Madagascar: An Identification Guide with Descriptions of Echolocation Calls, in Aberdeen University, 2001.
• Goodman SM and Ranivo J, The taxonomic status of Neoromicia somalicus malagasyensis, in Mammalian Biology, vol. 69, n. 6, 2004, pp. 434–438.
• Bates PJJ, Ratrimomanarivo FH, Harrison DL and Goodman SM, A description of a new species of Pipistrellus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from Madagascar with a review of related Vespertilioninae from the island, in Acta Chiropterologica, vol. 8, n. 2, 2006, pp. 299–324.
• Goodman SM, Taylor PJ, Ratrimomanarivo F & Hoofer SR, The genus Neoromicia (Family Vespertilionidae) in Madagascar, with the description of a new species, in Zootaxa, vol. 3250, 2012, pp. 1-25.

Eptesicus malagasyensis is een zoogdier uit de familie van de gladneuzen (Vespertilionidae). De wetenschappelijke naam van de soort werd voor het eerst geldig gepubliceerd door Peterson, Eger & Mitchell in 1995.

Voorkomen

De soort is endemisch in Madagaskar, waar hij alleen leeft in het Nationaal park Isalo.

Eptesicus malagasyensis (Пергач ісалійський) — вид рукокрилих родини Лиликові (Vespertilionidae).

Поширення

Ендемік Мадагаскару. Він був записаний між 450 і 700 м над рівнем моря. Був виявлений в галерейних сухих тропічних лісах в ущелинах, де він був зловлений під час полювання над водою.

Загрози та охорона

Загрози для цього виду не відомі. Присутній в Національному Парку д'Ісало (фр. Parc National d'Isalo).

Джерела

• Andriafidison, D., Cardiff, S.G., Goodman, S.M., Hutson, A.M., Jenkins, R.K.B., Kofoky, A.F., Racey, P.A., Ranivo, J., Ratrimomanarivo, F.H. & Razafimanahaka, H.J. 2008. Eptesicus malagasyensis. In: IUCN 2012

이살로문둥이박쥐(Neoromicia malagasyensis)는 애기박쥐과에 속하는 박쥐의 일종이다. 마다가스카르 섬 남서부 일부 지역의 이살로 국립공원 인근 지역에서만 알려져 있으며, 강가에서만 포획되었다. 1967년 처음 표본이 수집된 이후, 1995년에 소말리아문둥이박쥐(Eptesicus somalicus, 현재의 Neoromicia somalica)의 아종으로 기재되었다. 2002년과 2003년에 4점의 표본이 더 수집되었고, 별도의 종으로 분류되었다. 좁은 분포 지역과 서식지 파괴때문에 국제 자연 보전 연맹(IUCN)의 IUCN 적색 목록에서 "멸종위기종"으로 간주되고 있다.

이살로문둥이박쥐는 비교적 작은 종으로 전완장은 30~32mm이고, 몸무게는 3.9~9g이다. 상체의 털은 진한 갈색이고, 하체는 담황색과 회색이 섞여 있다. 귀는 반투명하고, 경골은 짧다. 음경골은 멜크집박쥐(N. melckorum)의 음경골과 유사하지만, 더 작다. 급격하게 떨어지는 주파수와 좀더 안정적인 주파수를 보여주는 구성 요소로 이루어진 반향정위 신호의 지속 기간은 평균 4.9ms와 신호 사이의 간격 평균 69.1ms이다.

각주