Desmalopex leucopterus (Temminck, 1853)

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Pteropodidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 16-162 : 125-126

116.

White-winged Flying Fox

Desmalopex leucopterus

French: Roussette leucoptere / German: \Weilkfligelflughund / Spanish: Desmalopex de alas blancas

Other common names: Mottle-winged Flying Fox

Taxonomy. Pteropus leucopterus Temminck, 1853 ,

“les Philippines.”

Desmalopex has been under Pteropus as a junior synonym since K. Andersen in 1912. Recent phylogenies demonstrated that it is a valid genus more closely related to monkeyfaced bats than typical pteropodines such as Pteropus . Desmalopex leucopterus is present in its typical form in the Luzon faunal region (Luzon and Catanduanes islands); other specimens referred might represent an undescribed species in the Mindanao faunal region (on Dinagat Island). Monotypic.

Distribution. N Philippines (Luzon and Catanduanes).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 185- 240 mm (tailless), ear 26-28 mm, hindfoot 44-46 mm, forearm 135-145 mm; weight 250-375 g. Head of the Whitewinged Flying Fox is rounded, with long fox-like muzzle; tip is almost hairless and whitish brown to pinkish; nostrils are large and divergent; and philtrum is undivided. Eyes are moderately large, with warm brown to orange-brown irises. Ears are short, pale brown, and attenuated at tips. Body pelage is generally pale brown; soft; of medium length; longer in rather indistinct mantle; and paler turning yellowish in crown, nape, and dorsum in some specimens; forearm is densely furred on dorsal proximal one-half. Uropatagium is narrow in center,tibia is thickly furred to ankle, and calcar is small. Index claw is present. Wing membranes are brown, with white blotches, more intensely mottled in white on long thumb, wing leading edge, and wingtip. Skull is typical pteropine, with noticeable basicranial deflection; laterally rostrum is long and tapering; nasal process of premaxilla is wide; orbit is large, slightly tilted upward; zygomatic root is just above upper alveolar line; and zygomais strong and arched. Dorsally, rostrum is long; nasals are salient; paranasal recesses are inflated, reaching small postorbital foramina; postorbital processes are long, arched, and annectant to zygoma in most adult specimens; postorbital constriction is very obvious; temporal lines joined in low sagittal crest; braincase is oval; and nuchal crest is very obvious. Ventrally, palate is very long and flat; tooth rows are nearly parallel; post-dental palate is short, ending in deep concavity; and ectotympanic is annular, very small, and internally sided by incomplete entotympanic. Mandible has long, flat symphysis, thickening caudally; coronoid is long and sloping, with square tip; condyle is slightly above lower alveolar line; and angle is gently rounded off. Dental formula for all species of Desmalopexis12/2,C 1/1, P 3/3, M 2/3 (x2) = 34. Dentition is generally heavy. Upper incisors are large, with noticeable lingual basal shelf; I* is slightly larger; C' is strong and decurved; P' is small, with round and flat crown; posterior cheekteeth are relatively short and squarish in occlusal outline, with posterobasal ledge, decreasing in height; molars are quadritubercular in appearance; and M* is small, with reduced cusps. Lower dentition has very large, tricuspidate I, with wide basal lingual ledge, and much smaller, spatulate I; C,is strongly decurved and moderately small; P, is relatively very large, with marked labial cusp; posterior cheekteeth decrease in height and are rectangular in occlusal outline, with posterobasal ledge; and M,is peg-like. Diploid number is 2n = 38, with one pair submetacentric and 18 pairs acrocentric or subtelocentric autosomes.

Habitat. Primary lowland and montane forests from sea level up to elevations of ¢. 1200 m.

Food and Feeding. The White-winged Flying Fox is frugivorous.

Breeding. In captivity, White-winged Flying Foxes have one young/year.

Activity patterns. White-winged Flying Foxes are nocturnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix II (as Pteropus leucopterus ) since 1990. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red Lust (as Pteropus leucopterus ). The White-winged Flying Fox is tolerant to some habitat modification and relatively widely distributed. A captive breeding program exists at Silliman University, Philippines.

Bibliography. Andersen (1912b), Esselstyn et al. (2008), Giannini et al. (2008), Heaney & Rabor (1982), Heaney, Balete et al. (1998), Heaney, Dolar et al. (2010), Miller (1907), Ong, Rosell-Ambal, Tabaranza, Balete et al. (2008), Rickart et al. (1999).

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. N Philippines (Luzon and Catanduanes).