Myonycteris angolensis smithii (Thomas, 1908)

Decher, Jan, Hoffmann, Anke, Schaer, Juliane, N Orris, Ryan W., Kadjo, Blaise, Astrin, Jonas, Monadjem, Ara & Hutterer, Rainer, 2015, Bat diversity in the Simandou Mountain Range of Guinea, with the description of a new white-winged vespertilionid, Acta Chiropterologica 17 (2), pp. 255-282 : 262-263

Myonycteris angolensis smithii (Thomas, 1908)

New material

ZFMK 2009.0018, ♀, FC, 7 March 2008.

We follow recent molecular systematic work by Nesi et al. (2013) in synonymising Lissonycteris with Myonycteris . Seven individuals of this midsized fruit bat were captured, one at W1 and three at FC, flying over the creek at the same time as the larger Rousettus aegyptiacus . Two were caught at PF, a submontane ridge habitat reminiscent of Mount Nimba, where Brosset (1984) found it to be the only pteropodid species in the submontane grassland (‘prairie d’altitude’). Only one male captured over the creek in the WSV displayed the “stiff-haired tawny collar” described by Rosevear (1965: 87). This species was not recorded during the 2002 RAP at Pic de Fon, but was recorded during the 2003 RAP from Mount Béro ( Fahr et al., 2006). This species was the fourth most abundant fruit bat in Guinean Mount Nimba ( Denys et al., 2013) and the second most abundant species at Liberian Mount Nimba ( Wolton et al., 1982). Nimba captures were mostly between 500 m and 1,500 m altitude ( Coe, 1975; Verschuren, 1976; Denys et al., 2013). Numerous localities in the Fouta Djallon region of Guinea were summarized by Weber and Fahr (2007 b). Myonycteris angolensis roost gregariously in caves and hollow trees ( Rosevear, 1965). Verschuren (1976) observed that in contrast to R. aegyptiacus , M. angolensis frequented higher elevations and more open habitats. Brosset (1984) also found altitudinal segregation between the two species. Wolton et al. (1982) observed a decline in the percentage of mature males from 34.3% to 15.6% after 10 August at Mount Nimba speculating that males left the area, perhaps leaving behind all-female maternity colonies.

Conservation status

Least Concern with a decreasing population trend mainly due to habitat loss ( IUCN, 2015).