Megaloglossus azagnyi Nesi, Kadjo & Hassanin, 2013

Decher, Jan, Norris, Ryan W., Abedi-Lartey, Michael, Oppong, James, Hutterer, Rainer, Weinbrenner, Martin, Koch, Martin, Podsiadlowski, Lars & Kilpatrick, C. William, 2021, A survey of small mammals in the Volta Region of Ghana with comments on zoogeography and conservation, Zoosystema 43 (14), pp. 253-281 : 268

Megaloglossus azagnyi Nesi, Kadjo & Hassanin, 2013

( Fig. 9 )

Megaloglossus azagnyi Nesi, Kadjo & Hassanin in Nesi et al. 2013: 134.

COMMON NAME. — Western Woermann’s Fruit Bat.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Agumatsa Wildlife Sanctuary • 2♂; SMF 92117 + 92118; 11.IX.2001. Shiare schoolyard ( Fig. 9 ) • 1 ♀; SMF 92119; 22.VIII.2001 • 1 ♂; SMF 92120; 22.VIII.2001 .

REMARK

We follow Nesi et al. (2013) in the use of the name M. azagnyi as a species separate from M. woermanni Pagenstecher, 1885 for Upper Guinea and the Volta Region of Ghana, which we confirmed with BLAST searches of Cytb sequences for our four specimens. While all four Cytb sequences were of sufficient quality to allow species identification; only two sequences, one from each locality, were of sufficient quality to be entered into Genbank ( MT311312 from SMF 92117 and MT311313 from SMF 92120. These sequences had a 100-96% sequence identities to sequences reported from M.azagnyi from the Cote d’Ivoire by Nesi et al. (2013). The sequences obtained from specimens SMF 92118 and 92119 contained numerous “no calls” or “N” resulting from the detection on more than a single nucleotide at a site. Previous records of Megaloglossus Pagenstecher 1885 in the Volta Region were from Amedzofe and Odomi Jongo, 2 miles E Nkwanta ( Bergmans 1997).

CONSERVATION STATUS. — The IUCN Red List map shows the distribution to include the Ghana-Togo Highlands (Monadjem 2016) but how far this nectar-feeding species extends into the Dahomey Gap before it is replaced by M. woermanni in Lower Guinea is still unknown. The IUCN Red List classification is “Least Concern”.

Figures

FIG. 9. — Western Woermann’s Fruit Bat Megaloglossus azagnyi Nesi, Kadjo & Hassanin, 2013, ♀ from Shiare schoolyard (SMF 92119). Photo: M. Weinbrenner 2001.