Murina cyclotis Dobson 1872

Francis, Charles M. & Eger, Judith L., 2012, A review of tube-nosed bats (Murina) from Laos with a description of two new species, Acta Chiropterologica 14 (1), pp. 15-38 : 17-20

Murina cyclotis Dobson 1872

( Figs. 3d , 4d , 5d , 6c ; Tables 1 , 2; Map Fig. 1a )

Specimens examined from Laos

ROM: 12 ♂♂, 25 ♀♀ ; EBD: 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀ ; SMF 4 ♂♂ (see Appendix for details, including information from adjacent countries and the literature) .

Description

Specimens we are referring to M. cyclotis are medium small, orange-brown bats ( Fig. 6c ). The hairs of the dorsum have grey to dark grey bases for ≈ 25% of their length, then a buffy area that gradually darkens to orange near the tips, but does not create strongly contrasting bands of colour. The hairs on the ventrum have dark grey bases with buffywhite tips which may have an orange tinge. The main diagnostic characters are in the dentition. In profile, the upper premolars are both well developed, similar in height to each other, and about 2/3 the height of the canine ( Figs. 3d and 4d ). The mesostyles of the first and second upper molars (M 1 and M 2) are greatly reduced, often worn off, with a deep U-shaped indentation in the labial side of the molars ( Fig. 4d ). In the lower toothrow, the posterior section (talonid) of the molars M 1 and M 2 is greatly reduced relative to the anterior section (trigonid; Fig. 5d ). Viewed from above, on the lingual side, the length of the talonid is less than half the length of the trigonid. In lateral view, the cusps are no more than half the height of the anterior cusps.

Discussion

In overall skull shape and size, as well as dental characters, these specimens resemble closely BMNH 1909.4.4.4 from India, which is listed in the BMNH catalogue as a syntype of M. cyclotis Dobson 1872 .

Nevertheless, this species is referred with some hesitation to M. cyclotis because genetic analyses suggest considerable variation in COI sequences among specimens referred to this species (figure 4 in Francis et al., 2010). We found intra-specific variation of more than 5% among specimens from Laos, and had two specimens with sequences that diverged by more than 15% from Lao material: one specimen from Krabi in Peninsular Thailand (ROM 110439), and one from Tamil Nadu in India (HZM 17.36447). Analyses of cytochrome b sequences from a specimen from northern India, somewhat closer to the type locality, suggests that it is similarly divergent from both the southern Thailand and Lao material (J. L. Eger, unpublished data). Morphologically, we have not been able to identify diagnostic differences among these specimens, but analysis of morphological variation is complicated by the fact that most specimens show extensive, but variable, tooth wear, and there is strong sexual dimorphism in size (as with many other species of Murina ). Subtle differences in overall size, or relative shapes or sizes of teeth are thus difficult to discern without longer series from each region. While we suspect that this may prove to represent a species complex, we consider it premature to identify species boundaries in this group. With limited data on genetic and morphological variation among specimens from different parts of the range, we cannot be sure how many species are represented, and whether different forms may overlap in range.

We do, however, recognize the much larger M. peninsularis Hill 1963 from peninsular Thailand, Malaysia and Borneo as a distinct species, based on its consistently larger size and distinctive DNA barcodes (figure 4 in Francis et al., 2010). The three sequences for this species included in Francis et al. (2010) all came from Pahang, in Peninsular Malaysia close to the type locality for M. peninsularis . They are very similar to three sequences for specimens from peninsular Thailand (C. M. Francis unpublished data), suggesting little variation in the species within peninsular Malaysia and Thailand. Morphologically, M. peninsularis is similar to one of the new species that we describe below (which includes a specimen identified as M. peninsularis by Matveev and Csorba, 2007), but it is genetically very distinct from that species.

Distribution and ecology

This was the most common and widespread species in our surveys, with 88 individuals captured from 26 distinct locations, including all major regions where we surveyed ( Fig. 1a , Appendix). The species was first reported from Laos by Osgood (1932) from Phongsali, and has subsequently been reported from many localities in adjacent countries. It was caught sympatrically with every other species of Murina that we captured in Laos, in a range of habitats from dry dipterocarp forest to montane evergreen rainforest, and in both undisturbed and highly altered habitats, as long as they had tree cover.

Figures

FIG. 3. Skull profiles of specimens of eight species of Murina from Laos: (a) M. harrisoni, EBD 24974; (b) M. fionae sp. nov. ROM 106383; (c) M. huttoni ROM 106419; (d) M. cyclotis, ROM 106431; (e) M. annamitica sp. nov. ROM 106467; (f) M. eleryi, ROM 106411; (g) M. walstoni ROM 110450; (h) M. feae, ROM 106477. Scale bar = 5 mm

FIG. 4. Upper left toothrows of specimens of eight species of Murina from Laos: (a) M. harrisoni, EBD 24974; (b) M. fionae sp. nov. ROM 106383; (c) M. huttoni ROM 106419; (d) M. cyclotis, ROM 106431; (e) M. annamitica sp. nov., ROM 106467; (f) M. eleryi, ROM 106411; (g) M. walstoni ROM 110450; (h) M. feae, ROM 106477. Scale bar = 5 mm

FIG. 5. Lower left toothrows of specimens of eight species of Murina from Laos: (a) M. harrisoni, EBD 24974; (b) M. fionae sp. nov. ROM 106383; (c) M. huttoni ROM 106419; (d) M. cyclotis, ROM 106431; (e) M. annamitica sp. nov., ROM 106467; (f) M. eleryi, ROM 106411; (g) M. walstoni ROM 110450; (h) M. feae, ROM 106477. Scale bar = 5 mm

FIG. 6. Photographs of four species of Murina in life from Laos: (a) M. walstoni ROM 110450; (b) M. fionae sp. nov. ROM 106382 or 106383; (c): M. cyclotis ROM 110647; (d) M. feae ROM 110476

FIG. 1. Distribution of known specimen records of Murina from Laos and surrounding countries for (a) M. cyclotis, (b) M. feae, (c) M. huttoni, and (d) M. eleryi. Solid circles (●) mark locations for specimens examined by the authors from Laos, Vietnam or southern China or extracted from Genbank or the Barcodes of Life databases, while open circles (○) mark locations extracted from the published literature (see Appendix for specimen details). On map (b), the solid star represents the type locality of M. feae, while the open star represents the type locality for M. cineracea. On map (d), the open star represents the type locality for M. eleryi