Molossus currentium O. Thomas, 1901

García, Franger J., Ochoa-G, José, Poma-Urey, José L., Miller, Bruce W., Falcão, Fábio C. & del Valle Alvarez, Martín Roberto, 2024, Expanding the knowledge of the bat fauna of the Brazilian Caatinga: new geographical records of molossid bats (Chiroptera, Molossidae) for the Chapada Diamantina region, with taxonomic notes, ZooKeys 1210, pp. 333-371 : 333-371

Molossus currentium O. Thomas, 1901

Summary of captures.

Five females ( CMARF 2152–2156).

External measurements and weights.

TLB: 103.20 (102.00–105.00), TL: 42.80 (42.00–45.00), LHL: 6.60 (5.00–7.00), EL: 12.00 (11.00–12.00), W: 10.20 (10.00–11.00).

Morphological description.

Dorsal fur coloration shows the following variations: unicolored chocolate brown in two specimens, slightly bicolored in two (hairs with a short pale brown basal band and a broader chocolate brown portion), and notably bicolored in one (with a pale brown base and chocolate brown tips); in all these cases, the dorsal coloration slightly contrasts with the venter. Length of dorsal hairs at the shoulders with the following variations: 4 mm in two specimens, 2 mm in one, and 3 mm in two.

Skull with elongated rostrum and a rounded braincase. Upper incisors spatulate. Infraorbital foramen varies in position: laterally positioned and slightly expanded in two specimens (making it visible in frontal view). In contrast, it is laterally positioned in the other three but not expanded. Occipital complex with a triangular shape (Fig. 10 ). Canines anteriorly projected in lateral view. The nasal process developed in three specimens and undeveloped in the rest. Basioccipital pits are present but shallow in two specimens and absent in the remaining three. The mastoid process is long and oriented ventrally. Presence of two bilobed lower incisors. Some skull measurements are shown in Table 2 .

Identification.

The upper incisors are spatulate, the infraorbital foramen is laterally positioned, not expanded, or slightly expanded, and the occipital complex is triangular. These features differentiate the individuals of this species from their morphologically closest related congeners: Molossus aztecus Saussure, 1860 , and M. molossus ( Gregorin et al. 2011; Loureiro et al. 2018 a, 2018 b).

Figures

Figure 10. A Molossus aztecus (CMARF 2147) B Molossus molossus (CMARF 2158) C Moloussus currentium (CMARF 2154), collected in the Caatinga (northeastern Brazil), showing differences in the shape of the upper incisors (left), and the occipital complex shape in the posterior region of the skulls (right).