Pteralopex atrata, Thomas, 1888

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Pteropodidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 16-162 : 127-128

120.

Guadalcanal Monkey-faced Fruit Bat

Pteralopex atrata

French: Roussette de Guadalcanal / German: Guadalcanal-Affengesichtflughund / Spanish: Pteralopex de Guadalcanal

Other common names: Guadalcanal Monkey-faced Bat

Taxonomy. Pteralopex atrata Thomas, 1888 ,

“Aola, Guadalcanar [= Guadalcanal], Solomon Islands.”

Considerable confusion existed regarding identity of specimens of P. atrata , previously thought to be widespread in the Solomon Islands. A closelyrelated, cryptic species was only recently described, P. flanneryi , which is generally larger; differences with P. anceps have been clarified. Pter alopex flanneryi : and P. anceps are allopatric with respect to P. atrata , now restricted to lowland Guadalcanal and, on the basis of one record, New Georgia. Previous records from Buka, Bougainville, Choiseul, and Santa Isabel islands have been reassigned to P. flanneryi (most records) or P. anceps . Monotypic.

Distribution. Solomon Is (New Georgia and Guadalcanal).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 196-237 mm (tailless), ear 15-20 mm, hindfoot 42- 43 mm, forearm 129-147 mm; weight 438-506 g. Head of the Guadalcanal Monkeyfaced Fruit Bat is large and flat; stout muzzle is sparsely haired, with dark gray skin; nostrils are large, very short, and divergent; and philtrum has side furrow. Eyes are relatively small and slightly directed forward, with reddish brownirises. Ears are short, round, exposed, and tipped with long sparse hairs. Head is very densely haired, and pelage is black or blackish brown, relatively short, and hirsute; mantle hair is long and black; dorsal pelage is black and adpressed; and hindlegs are naked or sparsely haired. Throat is sparsely haired; pelage of chest and belly are black or blackish brown and hirsute, without pale ventral patch. Uropatagium is absent in center and narrow alongside hindlegs, and calcar is short. Wings are dark blackish brown, occasionally mottled, inserted near spine, and attached to second toe; index claw is present. Skull is very robust, with strong basicranial deflection. Laterally, rostrum is short and very thick; forehead slopes; orbital rim is very obvious and slightly tilted forward; postorbital process forms closed orbital ring ending in spine of thick, arched zygoma; zygomatic root is slightly above upper alveolar line; and braincase is domed. Dorsally, rostrum is short and very wide; nasals and interorbital region are narrow; paranasal recesses are indistinct; postorbital foramina are tiny; postorbital constriction is very obvious; temporal lines join behind orbits, forming tall sagittal crest; and nuchal crest is very obvious. Ventrally, palate is long and flat, incisor row is arched, tooth rows are nearly parallel, post-dental palate is relatively short, and ectotympanic is very small, annular, and wider anteriorly. Mandible is robust, coronoid raises vertical and is very broad and curved, condyle is level with sinuous lower alveolar line, and angle is strong and salient, with obvious masseteric line. There are 14 palatal ridges; first five ridges are smooth, arched, undivided except first and middle ridges are thick, arched, and divided medially; eleventh ridge is undivided;last ridges are near palation border; and denticulation occurs in middle and last ridges. Dentition is strong and multicuspidate. Upperincisors are large, with strong basal distal shelves; I' is flat with cutting edge roundly pointed; I* is larger and more acutely pointed, with cingulum raised into tubercle; C' is relatively short but massive, with large distal secondary cusp, and grooved mesial surface; P' is tiny and frequently missing; posterior cheekteeth are large and squarish in occlusal outline, with anterior and posterior basal ledges and raised margins, prominent single labial cusp, slightly decreasing in height posteriorly; and M? is small. Lower dentition has minute, sometimes wanting, slightly bifid I, very large I, with three cusps, and large basal distal shelf; C| is short, with single cusp and posteriorly raised ledge; P| is relatively very large and tricuspidate; posterior cheekteeth decrease in height posteriorly; occlusal outline is rectangular to rounded posteriorly, with raised posterior ledge; main labial ridge has tricuspidate aspect, formed by deeply divided main cusp plus cusp-like raised posterior ledge; and M, is small and rounded.

Habitat. Lowland primary rainforests and occasionally gardens near forests from sea level up to elevations of ¢. 400 m.

Food and Feeding. Guadalcanal Monkey-faced Fruit Bats are frugivorous. They have been observed foraging in small groups on unripe mango ( Mangifera indica , Anacardiaceae ). Strong dentition suggests consumption of hard fruit.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. Guadalcanal Monkey-faced Fruit Bats are nocturnal; they were observed feeding at 21:30 h. They roost in tree hollows.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Guadalcanal Monkey-faced Fruit Bats probably roost alone or in small groups.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Endangered on The IUCN Red List. The Guadalcanal Monkey-faced Fruit Bat is clearly less common than it was in the recent past. Population is fragmented into two islands, possibly extirpated from New Georgia, and very rare on Guadalcanal where it was recently recorded. It is threatened by habitat loss and hunting. Roosting in hollowed trees might make it vulnerable to logging. A captive breeding program would be highly desirable.

Bibliography. Andersen (1912b), Flannery (1995a), Helgen (2005), Lavery (2017d), Parnaby (2002b).

Figures

114. Fijian Long-tailed Fruit Bat (Notopteris macdonald), 115. New Caledonia Long-tailed Fruit Bat (Notopteris neocaledonicus), 116. White-winged Flying Fox (Desmalopex leucopterus), 117. Mindoro Pallid Flying Fox (Desmalopex microleucopterus), 118. Fijizan Monkey-faced Fruit Bat Marimar (: acrodonta), 119. Bougainville Monkey-faced Fruit Bat (Pteralopex anceps), 120. Guadalcanal Monkey-faced Fruit Bat (Pleralopex atrata), 121. Montane Monkey-faced Fruit Bat (Pleralopex pulchra), 122. New Georgia Monkey-faced Fruit Bat (Pleralopex taki), 123. Greater Monkey-faced Fruit Bat (Pleralopex flanneryi), 124. Black-bellied Blossom Bat (Melonycteris melanops), 125. Fardoulis’s Blossom Bat (Nesonycteris fardoulis), 126. Woodford’s Blossom Bat (Nesonycteris woodfordi)

Distribution. Solomon Is (New Georgia and Guadalcanal).