Rhinolophus rufus Peters, 1861

Turni, Hendrik & Kock, Dieter, 2008, Type specimens of bats (Chiroptera: Mammalia) in the collections of the Museum f r Naturkunde, Berlin, Zootaxa 1869 (1), pp. 1-82 : 34

Rhinolophus rufus Peters, 1861

Peters, W. C. H. (1861) Über die von Hrn. F. Jagor bisher auf Malacca, Borneo, Java und den Philippinen gesammelten Säugethiere aus den Ordnungen der Halbaffen, Pelzflatterer und Flederthiere. Monatsberichte der Königlich Preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin, 1861: 710 [706–713].

Valid name: Rhinolophus subrufus Andersen, 1905

Holotype: ZMB 2532 , body in alcohol, skull extracted, male; Paracali, Luzon, Philippines; collected by F. Jagor, between 1857 and 1861.

? Paratype: ZMB 2271 , skin; Philippines; donated by Gray , ex BMNH, sub Rhinolophus euryotis .

Comment: Andersen (1905: 284) pointed out that the species name “ rufus ” is preoccupied by Rhinolophus luctus var. rufus [or rufa] Eydoux & Gervais, 1836. Peters knew the description of Eydoux & Gervais (1836), but believed the name “ rufus ” to be available in the genus Rhinolophus since these authors described only a variety. Andersen (1905) described Rhinolophus subrufus as new on the basis of a specimen from Manila (Luzon, Philippines) assuming that this was the same species described by Peters 1861 as Rhinolophus rufus . Lawrence (1939: 46) proved that “ var. rufa ” of Eydoux & Gervais is morphologically clearly distinguishable both from Rhinolophus luctus Temminck, 1835 and from Andersen’s subrufus and must be regarded as separate species. Lawrence does not mention Peters’ rufus .

During the present investigation two specimens have been examined: The holotype ZMB 2532 and a further specimen ZMB 2271 from the Philippines. ZMB 2271 was considered by Peters as Rhinolophus rufus , since he corrected the former catalogue entry (“ Rhinolophus euryotis Temm ”) and marked it with a type asterisk. This correction may have taken place after Peters´ publication (1861), therefore it is uncertain whether it really represents a paratype.