Pteronotus pusillus (G. M. Allen, 1917)

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Mormoopidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 424-443 : 441

11.

Hispaniolan Common Mustached Bat

Pteronotus pusillus

French: Ptéronote d'Hispaniola / German: Hispaniola-Schnurrbartfledermaus / Spanish: Pteronotus de Hispaniola

Other common names: Hispaniolan Mustached Bat

Taxonomy. Chilonycteris parnellii pusillus [sic] G. M. Allen, 1917,

“Arroyo Salado, Santo Domingo,” Dominican Republic.

Pteronotus pusillus was formerly classified as a subspecies of P. parnellir, but here it is considered a distinct species. Fossil subspecies gonavensis, described by K. F. Koopman in 1995 from an owl pellet deposit found in a cave near En Café, Gonave Island, off western Hispaniola,is considered a temporal variation of the population currently inhabiting Hispaniola (i.e. P. pusillus). Monotypic.

Distribution. Haiti and Dominican Republic.

Descriptive notes. Head—body ¢. 53 mm, tail 20 mm, ear 18 mm, hindfoot 12 mm, forearm 49-7-52-9 mm. The Hispaniolan Common Mustached Bat is the smallest species of common mustached bat. It is easily distinguished from Parnell’s Common Mustached Bat (P. parnelliz) and the Puerto Rican Common Mustached Bat ( P. portoricensis ) based on smaller external and cranial sizes. Pelage is darker dorsally than ventrally; hairs on back have paler central zone similar to Parnell’s Common Mustached Bat. Skull of the Hispaniolan Common Mustached Bat has delicate rostrum and comparatively robust, globular braincase. Condylo-basal lengths are 17-17-8 mm. Additional external and cranial features shared with other species in the subgenus Phyllodia are listed in descriptive notes for Parnell’s Common Mustached Bat.

Habitat. Dense vegetation in dry thorn scrub and forests or along streams.

Food and Feeding. The Hispaniolan Common Mustached Bat feeds on insects, but there is no specific information available on prey items in its diet.

Breeding. No reproductive activity was observed in Hispaniolan Common Mustached Bats collected in May and August in three distinct localities in Haiti.

Activity patterns. Echolocation calls of the Hispaniolan Common Mustached Bat consist of long CF-FM pulses with most energy at ¢.67-5 kHz.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Hispaniolan Common Mustached Bats roost in caves with other mormoopids and phyllostomids. There are seasonal changes in colony sizes, probably related to reproductive activity.

Status and Conservation. Not assessed on The IUCN Red List. Hispaniolan Common Mustached Bat is included under Parnell’s Common Mustached Bat, which is classified as Least Concern. It is not particularly abundant compared with other species of mormoopids on Hispaniola.

Bibliography. Davalos et al. (2019), Klingener et al. (1978), Koopman (1955), Nunez-Novas et al. (2016), Pavan & Marroig (2016), Smith (1972).

Figures

1. Antllean Ghost-faced Bat (Mormoops blainuviller), 2. Peters’s Ghostfaced Bat (Mormoops megalophylla), 3. Davy’s Naked-backed Bat (Pteronotus davyi), 4. Thomas's Naked-backed Bat (Pteronotus fulvus), 5. Big Naked-backed Bat (Pteronotus gymnonotus), 6. Macleay’s Mustached Bat (Pleronotus macleayii), 7. Sooty Mustached Bat (Pleronotus quadridens), 8. Wagner's Lesser Mustached Bat (Pteronotus personatus), 9. Dobson’s Lesser Mustached Bat (Pteronotus psilotis), 10. Parnell’s Common Mustached Bat (Pteronotus parnellii), 11. Hispaniolan Common Mustached Bat (Preronotus pusillus), 12. Puerto Rican Common Mustached Bat (Pteronotus portoricensis), 13. Mexican Common Mustached Bat (Pteronotus mexicanus), 14. Mesoamerican Common Mustached Bat (Pteronotus mesoamericanus), 15. Allen’s Common Mustached Bat (Pleronotus fuscus), 16. Paraguana Common Mustached Bat (Pteronotus paraguanensis), 17. Womurs Common Mustached Bat (Pteronotus rubiginosus), 18. Amazonian Common Mustached Bat (Pteronotus alitonus)

Distribution. Haiti and Dominican Republic .