Pleronotus macleayii (J. E. Gray, 1839)

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Mormoopidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 424-443 : 439

6.

Macleay’s Mustached Bat

Pleronotus macleayii

French: Ptéronote de Macleay / German: Macleay-Schnurrbartfledermaus / Spanish: Pteronotus de Macleay

Taxonomy. Chilonycteris macleayii J. E. Gray, 1839,

“ Cuba.” Restricted by G. SilvaTaboada in 1976 to Guanabacoa, Havana Province, Cuba.

Description of macleayii was associated with three specimens from Cuba presented by W. S. Macleay to J. E. Gray; original description was detailed and accurate and apparently based on only one male among these specimens. It is believed that such material, however, contained both species of Antillean mustached bats, P. macleayii and P. quadridens , and that during World WarII, the incorrect specimen (an individual of P. quadridens ) was segregated as the holotype of P. macleayii and subsequently labeled. J. D. Smith in 1972 designated another of these specimens as the holotype. Fossil records of P. macleayu: are reported from the Dominican Republic and New Providence Island, Bahamas, suggesting a more extensive distribution in the late Quaternary than today. Two subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution. P.m.macleayii].E.Gray,1839—CubaandIsladelaJuventud. P. m. griseus Gosse, 1851 — Jamaica.

Descriptive notes. Head-body ¢.41-53 mm, tail 20-25 mm, ear 9-10 mm, hindfoot 9-15 mm, forearm 41-45 mm; weight 4-8 g. Pelage is tricolored dorsally, basal and tip bands vary from dark brown or olive-brown to orange, and central band is whitish to grayish. Ventral fur is paler. Tragus is long and spatulated, with prominent secondary fold. Labionasal plate is very distinct: nostrils have squared flaps above them and prominent lateral spikes to either side. Calcar length is c.1-5 times longer than hindfoot. Skull has slightly elevated rostrum, which is longer than one-half total length of skull. Braincase is globular. Condylo-basal lengths are 14-16 mm. Subspecies macleayi: is smaller than griseus based on external and cranial measurements.

Habitat. Semi-open spaces over streams and watercourses for foraging. Macleay’s Mustached Bat is considered an obligate cave-dweller, preferably roosting in high-domed chambers in deep and wet cave systems.

Food and Feeding. Macleay’s Mustached Bat feeds on a high diversity of arthropods, including lepidopterans, dipterans, coleopterans, orthopterans, hemipterans, ephemeropterans, and spiders.

Breeding. Macleay’s Mustached Bat is monoestrous and bears one young each pregnancy. Breeding begins in March, pregnant females are observed in March—July, and lactation occurs in June-August.

Activity patterns. Macleay’s Mustached Bat has an intermediate flight speed and is most active in edge habitats, usually foraging relatively higher than syntopic species of Pteronotus . There is temporal displacement in activity patterns among Macleay’s Mustached Bat, the Antillean Ghostfaced Bat ( Mormoops blainvillei ), and the Sooty Mustached Bat ( P. quadridens ) when foraging in the same habitat. In Jamaica, its activity 1s more intense a few hours after sunset. In Cuba,it exhibits a unimodal peak of activity in the middle of the night. Echolocation calls during search phase consist of short CF-FM signals of ¢.4-3 milliseconds, with up to three harmonics. Second harmonic is usually most intense and starts at ¢.71 kHz and ends at ¢.56 kHz.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Macleay’s Mustached Bat roosts in association with other bat species, particularly mormoopids, but it forms spatially separated clusters. In Cuba, colonies ofseveral thousand are found; in Jamaica, it sometimes congregates in smaller clusters. Males and females might disappear from daily roosts during mating season.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Macleay’s Mustached Bat is less abundant and has a more restricted distribution in Jamaica than Cuba.

Bibliography. Emrich et al. (2014), Genoways et al. (2005), Mancina (2005), Mancina, Echenique-Diaz et al. (2007), Mancina, Garcia-Rivera & Miller (2012), Mora & Macias (2011), Morgan (2001), Silva-Taboada (1976b), Simmons & Conway (2001), Smith (1972), Velazco, O'Neill et al. (2013).

Figures

1. Antllean Ghost-faced Bat (Mormoops blainuviller), 2. Peters’s Ghostfaced Bat (Mormoops megalophylla), 3. Davy’s Naked-backed Bat (Pteronotus davyi), 4. Thomas's Naked-backed Bat (Pteronotus fulvus), 5. Big Naked-backed Bat (Pteronotus gymnonotus), 6. Macleay’s Mustached Bat (Pleronotus macleayii), 7. Sooty Mustached Bat (Pleronotus quadridens), 8. Wagner's Lesser Mustached Bat (Pteronotus personatus), 9. Dobson’s Lesser Mustached Bat (Pteronotus psilotis), 10. Parnell’s Common Mustached Bat (Pteronotus parnellii), 11. Hispaniolan Common Mustached Bat (Preronotus pusillus), 12. Puerto Rican Common Mustached Bat (Pteronotus portoricensis), 13. Mexican Common Mustached Bat (Pteronotus mexicanus), 14. Mesoamerican Common Mustached Bat (Pteronotus mesoamericanus), 15. Allen’s Common Mustached Bat (Pleronotus fuscus), 16. Paraguana Common Mustached Bat (Pteronotus paraguanensis), 17. Womurs Common Mustached Bat (Pteronotus rubiginosus), 18. Amazonian Common Mustached Bat (Pteronotus alitonus)

Subspecies and Distribution. P.m.macleayii].E.Gray,1839—CubaandIsladelaJuventud. P. m. griseus Gosse, 1851 — Jamaica .