Cistugo lesueuri, Roberts, 1919

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Cistugidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 710-715 : 714-715

2.

Le Sueur’s Wing-gland Bat

Cistugo lesueuri

French: Cistugo de Le Sueur / German: Le-SueurMausohr / Spanish: Ratonero cistugo de Le Sueur

Other common names: Le Sueur’s Hairy Bat

Taxonomy. Cistugo lesueuri Roberts, 1919 , “Lormarins [= L’Ormarins, Franschhoek Valley], Paarl District,” Western Cape Province, South Africa.

Cistugo lesueuri is morphologically and genetically very similar to C. seabrae , and they might be only subspecifically distinct. Both differ by a mean of 2:3%sequence divergence measured in the cytochrome-b gene and differ by 0-1 mutation at each of four essayed nuclear intron sequences, again suggesting that they might be conspecific.

Both, however, occupy very distinct habitats and distributions and therefore are treated here as specifically distinct, but a more thorough taxonomic revision would be useful. Monotypic.

Distribution. Endemic to parts of South Africa and Lesotho.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 44-55 mm, tail 43-45 mm, ear 11-14 mm, hindfoot 6-8 mm, forearm 33-38-4 mm; weight 5-5-7-9 g. Tibia lengths are 14-15 mm, and wingspans are 230-250 mm. Le Sueur’s Wing-gland Batis very small, superficially resembling small vespertilionids such as Neoromicia or Pipistrellus , but its tragus is more elongated and pointed, there are two small upper premolars, and wing membranes usually bear 1-2 visible wing glands. Color of dorsal pelage is variable, yellowish orange, yellowish brown, pale brown, or reddish brown, with hair bases dark brown or blackish. Ventral pelage is lighter, pale brown to whitish. Le Sueur’s Wing-gland Bat is morphologically very similar or indistinguishable from the closely related Angolan Wing-gland Bat (C. seabrae ). Le Sueur’s Wing-gland Bat tends to be larger and has darker and thicker pelage, perhaps reflecting its preference for more mesic habitats. Distinguishing characteristics of Le Sueur’s Wing-gland Bat (but with considerable overlap) include usually larger forearms (greater than 35 mm) and skull (greatest length greater than 13-2 mm; condylo-incisive length greater than 12: 6 mm), and less apparent (or even invisible) wing glands that are positioned further away from radius on wing membrane. Two greatly reduced anterior premolars are variously intruded in tooth row and can be hidden when viewed from the side. Lower molars are myotodont, as in Myotis .

Habitat. Fynbos, Karoo, and Thicket biomes of southern Africa, often close to water, mostly in mountainous terrain above 1500 m. Le Sueur’s Wing-gland Bat was recorded at elevations up to 2420 m in high plateaus of Lesotho in wet alpine meadows interspersed with numerous small lakes. Dominant habitats include Afromontane, Highveld, and South-West Cape biotic zones. Other species recorded in the same habitats include Geoffroy’s Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus clivosus), the Egyptian Free-tailed Bat (Tadarida aegyptiaca), Temminck’s Myotis ( Myotis tricolor), the Long-tailed Serotine ( Eptesicus hottentotus), and the Cape Serotine ( Neoromicia capensis).

Food and Feeding. Le Sueur’s Wing-gland Bats are insectivorous. Fecal analyses from the Northern Cap Province in South Africa indicated that dipterans constituted one-half of the volume of consumed prey, with hemipterans also abundant (about one-third of volume). Diet also contained, albeit in smaller proportions, hymenopterans, small beetles, and especially caddisflies and mayflies, suggesting preference for riverine hunting habitats. Echolocation and wing morphology characteristics classify Le Sueur’s Wing-gland Bat among typical clutter-edge foragers, hunting close to vegetation. In highlands of Lesotho, occupied grasslands are, however, almost devoid of trees so hunting strategies might be flexible and also include more open aerial feeding.

Breeding. Litter size of Le Sueur’s Wing-gland Bat is one young, exceptionally two. Pregnant females were collected in October and December, and scrotal males were observed in mid-February.

Activity patterns. Le Sueur’s Wing-gland Bat is nocturnal and active early after sunset. Day roosts are located in crevices of cliffs or large rocks. During regular surveys of bat activity conducted in a mountain forest in the Western Cape Province of South Africa, it was unrecorded in winter (July), possibly indicating a period of diapause. It is reportedly quiet and docile when netted. Echolocation call characteristics are typical of low-duty echolocating bats, with strongly FM initial component terminating with short CF component. Echolocation call parameters (mean + SD) recorded in South Africa are: peak frequency of 46-5 + 1-8 kHz, bandwidth of 45-8 + 22-7 kHz, and duration of 2:9 + 0-2 milliseconds.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Le Sueur’s Wing-gland Bat forms mixed-sex colonies of up to 40 individuals, but movements and home range size are unrecorded.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Nevertheless, current population trend of Le Sueur’s Wing-gland Bat is decreasing, but it is probably not as rare asits limited known localities suggest. It is not uncommon in highlands of Lesotho. Development of wind farms and conversion of land to agricultural use in its preferred habitats might locally threaten populations. It is found in various protected areas and national parks in Lesotho and Western Cape and Free State provinces of South Africa.

Bibliography. Bickham et al. (2004), CooperBohannon et al. (2016), Eick et al. (2005), Herselman & Norton (1985), Hood & Smith (1984), Kearney (2013)), Kearney & Van Schalkwyk (2009), Lack et al. (2010), Monadjem, Taylor, Schoeman et al. (2017), Rautenbach et al. (1993), Schoeman & Jacobs (2003, 2008), Seamark et al. (2012), Shortridge (1942), Simmons (2005), Stadelmann, Jacobs et al. (2004), Thomas (1912a), Watson (1998).

Figures

Plate 54 Wing-gland Bats Species Accounts

Distribution. Endemic to parts of South Africa and Lesotho .