Pteronotus mesoamericanus, J. D. Smith, 1972

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Mormoopidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 424-443 : 442

14.

Mesoamerican Common Mustached Bat

Pteronotus mesoamericanus

French: Ptéronote dAmérique Centrale / German: Mittelamerika-Schnurrbartfledermaus / Spanish: Pteronotus de

América Central

Other common names: Mesoamerican Mustached Bat, Smith's Common Mustached Bat

Taxonomy. Pleronotus parnellic mesoamericanus]. D. Smith, 1972 ,

“ 1 mi [= 1-6 km] § and 0-75 mi [= 1-2 km] E Yepocapa, 4280 ft [= 1305 m], Chimaltenango, Guatemala.”

Pteronotus mesoamericanus was formerly classified as a subspecies of P. parnelliz, but here itis considered a distinct species. There is a potentially large zone of secondary contact between P. mesoamericanus and P. mexicanus north of Isthmus of Tehuantepec and on the Yucatan Peninsula. Monotypic.

Distribution. Mexico, along Gulf Coast, in Isthmus of Tehuantepec, and Yucatan Peninsula, S to Canal Zone, Panama.

Descriptive notes. Head-body ¢.70-72 mm,tail 23-27 mm, ear 20-22 mm, hindfoot 14 mm, forearm 55-63 mm; weight c.16-19-5 g. Dorsal pelage is dark brown to ocherous; ventral hair tips are paler, giving a frosted appearance. Populations inhabiting the Yucatan Peninsula are noticeably small (forearm 55-56-5 mm), and individuals from Costa Rica and Panama are the largest (forearm 60-63 mm). Condylo-basal lengths are 19-21-5 mm. Additional external and cranial features shared with other species in the subgenus Phyllodia are listed in descriptive notes for Parnell’s Common Mustached Bat (P. parnelliz).

Habitat. Continuous or fragmented forests and dense riparian vegetation with high canopies and croplands. Although Mesoamerican Common Mustached Bats prefer roosting in warm caves, they have less thermal specificity than smaller mormoopids and tolerate roost temperatures below 20°C in their northernmost distribution.

Food and Feeding. The Mesoamerican Common Mustached Bat feeds on coleopterans, besides lepidopterans, dipterans, orthopterans, and hymenopterans.

Breeding. Seasonal polyestry has been suggested for the Mesoamerican Common Mustached Bat. It seems to depend on hot caves for maternity roosts. In Yucatan, Mexico, pregnant females are reported in late April and early May, with embryos of 20-22 mm. In Veracruz, Mexico, pregnant females were observed in most parts of the year but in higher frequency in April-June and August-September. In Costa Rica, lactating females with young are reported in February. Lactation is most frequently reported in June-September, but a bimodal pattern has also been suggested.

Activity patterns. The Mesoamerican Common Mustached Bat is often seen foraging together with smaller species of mormoopids butflies closer to the ground or within vegetation. Echolocation calls during search phase consist of long CF-FM pulses of 22-25 milliseconds and up to four harmonics. Most energy is in the second harmonic, but there seems to be variation in the CF component across the distribution. Individuals from the Yucatan Peninsula have higher frequency calls, with the CF component of 63-5 kHz; mean CF of individuals from Costa Rica 1s 60-5 kHz.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Sizes of colonies of Mesoamerican Common Mustached Bats contain a few hundred individuals. They can range widely, with records of recaptures in areas located more than 2 km from the originalsite of capture.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Mesoamerican Common Mustached Bat is relatively common throughoutits distribution and a generalist relative to its habitat requirements.

Bibliography. Avila & Medellin (2004), Birney et al. (1974), Clare et al. (2013), Deleva & Chaverri (2018), Estrada & Coates-Estrada (2001), Fenton et al. (2001), GBIF Secretariat (2017), Lépez-Wilchis et al. (2016), O'Farrell & Miller (1997), Pavan & Marroig (2016), Ruiz (2014), Rydell et al. (2002), Whitaker & Findley (1980).

Figures

1. Antllean Ghost-faced Bat (Mormoops blainuviller), 2. Peters’s Ghostfaced Bat (Mormoops megalophylla), 3. Davy’s Naked-backed Bat (Pteronotus davyi), 4. Thomas's Naked-backed Bat (Pteronotus fulvus), 5. Big Naked-backed Bat (Pteronotus gymnonotus), 6. Macleay’s Mustached Bat (Pleronotus macleayii), 7. Sooty Mustached Bat (Pleronotus quadridens), 8. Wagner's Lesser Mustached Bat (Pteronotus personatus), 9. Dobson’s Lesser Mustached Bat (Pteronotus psilotis), 10. Parnell’s Common Mustached Bat (Pteronotus parnellii), 11. Hispaniolan Common Mustached Bat (Preronotus pusillus), 12. Puerto Rican Common Mustached Bat (Pteronotus portoricensis), 13. Mexican Common Mustached Bat (Pteronotus mexicanus), 14. Mesoamerican Common Mustached Bat (Pteronotus mesoamericanus), 15. Allen’s Common Mustached Bat (Pleronotus fuscus), 16. Paraguana Common Mustached Bat (Pteronotus paraguanensis), 17. Womurs Common Mustached Bat (Pteronotus rubiginosus), 18. Amazonian Common Mustached Bat (Pteronotus alitonus)

Distribution. Mexico , along Gulf Coast, in Isthmus of Tehuantepec, and Yucatan Peninsula, S to Canal Zone, Panama .