Diclidurus scutatus, Peters, 1869

Bonaccorso, Frank, 2019, Emballonuridae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 350-373 : 368

40 . Lesser Ghost Bat

Diclidurus scutatus

French: Diclidure des cyclanthes / German: Kleine Gespenstfledermaus / Spanish: Dicliduro pequeno

Taxonomy. Diclidurus scutatus Peters, 1869 ,

“Südamerica.” Restricted by A. M. Husson in 1962 to “Para [= Belém] , Para, Brazil.

Diclidurus scutatus is in the subgenus Depanycteris. Monotypic.

Distribution. Amazonian Basin in NE Ecuador (Orellana Province), NE Peru (Loreto Department), E Colombia (Vaupés Department), S & W Venezuela, the Guianas, and N Brazil (Amazonas, Amapa, and Para states), with one additional record from Atlantic Dry Forest of SE Brazil (Sâo Paulo State).

Descriptive notes. Head—body 57-68 mm, tail 17—19 mm, ear 10—15 mm, hindfoot 7-11 mm, forearm 51-58-9 mm; weight c.13 g. Dorsal fur of the Lesser Ghost Bat is long, soft, and either pure white or pale brown at bases of hairs; venter is uniformly white. Claws are black. Flight membranes are unpigmented. Naked skin of wings and legs are pink. Eyes are relatively large, with dark brown irises. Adult males have two glandular pouches on their uropatagia that are particularly prominent during breeding season. Ear is yellowish, rounded at apex, and c.15 mm long; tragus is. 6 mm. Greatest length of skull is c.15 mm. Diagnostic skull characteristics include large palatine foramina, with posterior palatal emargination, and no space between premolars.

Habitat. Multi-strata evergreen forests (rainforest), Atlantic Dry Forest (one record), and towns and villages from sea level to elevations of c.1000 m.

Food and Feeding. The Lesser Ghost Bat preys on insects. One specimen was collected with a large moth in its mouth, and another was captured in a canopy mist net.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. Lesser Ghost Bats are crepuscular and fly high in open spaces above rivers, streams, lagoons, towns, and forest canopies. They are attracted to insects around lights.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCNRed List. The Lesser Ghost Bat has a large distribution in areas with intact evergreen forests. Nevertheless, little is known about its taxonomy, distribution, and ecology. Conservation actions should include scientific studies of distribution, roosting behavior, reproduction, diet, and foraging behavior.

Bibliography. Albuja (1999), Carter & Dolan (1978), Eisenberg (1989), Escobedo &Velazco (2012), Fonseca ef al. (1996), Handley (1976), Husson (1962, 1978), Lim & Engstrom (2005), Linares (1998), Novaes, Clâudio & Kuniy (2017), Tirira (2017).

Figures

On following pages: 40. Lesser Ghost Bat (Diclidurus scutatus); 41. Isabelline Ghost Bat (Diclidurus isabella); 42. Lesser Dog-like Bat (Peropteryx macrotis); 43. Greater Dog-like Bat (Peropteryx kappleri); 44. Trinidad Dog-like Bat (Peropteryx trinitatis); 45. White-winged Dog-like Bat (Peropteryx leucoptera); 46. Pale-winged Dog-like Bat (Peropteryx pallidoptera); 47. Thomas's Shaggy Bat (Centronycteris centrali); 48. Common Shaggy Bat (Centronycteris maximiliani); 49. Proboscis Bat (Rhynchonycteris naso); 50. Greater Sac-winged Bat (Saccopteryx bilineata}; 51. Lesser Sac-winged Bat (Saccopteryx leptura); 52. rosted Sac-winged Bat (Saccopteryx canescens); 53. Antioquian Sac-winged Bat (Saccopteryx antioquensis); 54. Amazonian Sac-winged Bat (Saccopteryx gymnura).

Distribution. Amazonian Basin in NE Ecuador (Orellana Province), NE Peru (Loreto Department), E Colombia (Vaupés Department), S & W Venezuela, the Guianas, and N Brazil (Amazonas, Amapa, and Para states), with one additional record from Atlantic Dry Forest of SE Brazil (Sâo Paulo State).