Neoromicia robertsi

Goodman, Steven M., Rakotondramanana, Claude Fabienne, Ramasindrazana, Beza, Kearney, Teresa, Monadjem, Ara, Schoeman, M. Corrie, Taylor, Peter J., Naughton, Kate & Appleton, Belinda, 2015, An integrative approach to characterize Malagasy bats of the subfamily Vespertilioninae Gray, 1821, with the description of a new species of Hypsugo, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 173 (4), pp. 988-1018 : 1002-1004

NEOROMICIA ROBERTSI GOODMAN ET AL., 2012A

Molecular genetics

K2P distance within N. robertsi was 0.001 (N = 2, Table 1). This species forms the sister taxa of N. malagasyensis and these two allopatric forms show 4.0% sequence divergence. Further, this clade is distinct from N. cf. melckorum (see Monadjem et al., 2010 for a definition of this taxon), from which it is separated by about 12.0% sequence divergence.

Morphometrics

Measurements presented in Table 2.

Craniodental morphology

This species is readily separated from other members of this genus occurring on Madagascar by its notably large skull and dental measurements. With the exception of POB, there is no overlap in any craniodental measurement of this species with the two smaller members of this genus on Madagascar ( N. malagasyensis and N. matroka ) ( Tables 3 and 4). It was previously noted that the skull of UADBA 43679 was lost ( Goodman et al., 2012a); this is incorrect and the misplaced skull is of UADBA 43678.

Bioacoustics

Measurements presented in Table 6.

Bacular morphology

As illustrated and described by Goodman et al. (2012a), the baculum of N. robertsi is notably long for members of this genus (2.8–3.1 mm); here we add one more specimen referable to this species with a baculum length of 3.12 mm ( Table 8). The distal end has a hook-like structure that is flattened and deflected ventrally, and the dorsal surface has a vertical projection ( Fig. 7D ). The general shape of the baculum shows similarities to N. malagasyensis , which is the sister species ( Fig. 7C ), but the latter is shorter in total length (2.10, 2.25, N = 2, see Table 8). In many ways, the structure is similar to N. cf. melckorum ( Fig. 7G ). The baculum illustrat- ed by Bates et al. (2006, Fig. 8C ) under ‘ N. melckorum ’ is of N. robertsi .

Known geographical range

In Figure 1 , localities are presented of sequenced specimens of N. robertsi . Other animals identified by molecular results or bacula morphology include: Amboasary, Anjozorobe, 47°56.699′S, 18°24.295′E (UADBA 43677 – holotype); Antsahabe, Anjozorobe, 18°24.26′S, 47°56.70′E (UADBA 43675, RBJ-105); and Parc National de Mantadia, 18°49.94′S, 48°25.63′E (FMNH 213931, formerly UADBA 43679); the latter two specimens were originally identified as N. melckorum by Bates et al. (2006).

Figures

Figure 1. Map of localities mentioned in text associated with sequenced members of the genera Neoromicia, Pipistrellus, and Hypsugo captured on Madagascar. Other localities mentioned in the text and an elevational gradient are also shown.

Figure 7. Dorsal (above) and lateral (below) views of bacula from six species of Neoromicia. A, Neoromicia matroka (FMNH 222725, total length 2.12 mm) from Mantadia; B, Neoromicia matroka (FMNH 222728, total length 2.26 mm) from Anjozorobe; C, Neoromicia malagasyensis (FMNH 222724, total length 2.25 mm) from Isalo; D, Neoromicia robertsi (FMNH 222729, total length 3.12 mm), from Anjozorobe; E, Neoromicia capensis, dorsal view (TM 48490, ECJS-112/2009, total length 2.04 mm) and lateral view (TM 48485, ECJS-03/2009, lateral view, total length 2.01 mm) from Botswana; F: Neoromicia nana (TM 48573, UP-923, total length 1.32 mm), from South Africa; G, Neoromicia cf. melckorum (NMZL ECJS-114/ 2010, total length 2.55 mm) from Zambia.

Figure 8. Dorsal (above) and lateral (below) views of bacula from two species of Pipistrellus. A, Pipistrellus raceyi (FMNH 217886, total length 8.90 mm) from Kirindy Forest (CNFEREF); B, Pipistrellus raceyi (FMNH 222722, total length 6.10 mm) from near Andasibe; C, Pipistrellus hesperidus (FMNH 176094, average total length of four specimens 1.9 mm) from Parc National de Kirindy Mitea (redrawn from Bates et al., 2006, Fig. 10A); D, Pipistrellus hesperidus (FMNH 209270, total length 1.90 mm) from Grotte de Sarodrano; E, Pipistrellus hesperidus (FMNH 217905, total length 1.70 mm) from Grotte de Sarodrano; F: Pipistrellus hesperidus (TM 48624, UP-840, total length 2.18 mm) from South Africa.