Neoromicia helios (Heller 1912)

[Neoromicia] helios (Heller 1912), Smithson. Misc. Coll., 60 (12): 3.

Type Locality: Kenya, 30 mi S Mt. Marsabit, Merelle Water.

Vernacular Names: Samburu Pipistrelle.

Distribution: Kenya, Somalia, Djibouti, NE Uganda, extreme S Sudan, N Tanzania. Maybe more widespread (Peterson, 1987).

Conservation: IUCN 2003 – Not evaluated; not considered in IUCN / SSC Action Plan (2001).

Discussion: Considered to be a subspecies of nanus by some authors, but differences in bacular morphology (Hill and Harrison, 1987), roosting and social behavior (O'Shea, 1980; Happold and Happold, 1996), habitat and pelage coloration, and the presence of a pair of glands on the interfemoral membrane in helios (O'Shea, 1980) that are rarely found in nanus indicate that helios is a distinct species (M. Happold, pers. comm.).