Pteralopex flanneryi, Helgen, 2005

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Pteropodidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 16-162 : 129

123.

Greater Monkey-faced Fruit Bat

Pteralopex flanneryi

French: Roussette de Flannery / German: Flannery-Affengesichtflughund / Spanish: Pteralopex de Flannery

Other common names: Flannery’s Monkey-faced Fruit Bat, Greater Monkey-faced Bat

Taxonomy. Pteralopex flanneryi Helgen, 2005 ,

“Buin District (06°50°S, 155°44’ F), 10 miles [= 16 km] inland from the coast, altitude 50 m, Bougainville (Northern Solomons Province, Papua New Guinea).”

Specimens of recently described P. flannery: were previously assigned to sympatric P. anceps (from which P. flannery: differs in numerous craniodental and external characteristics) or P. atrata (a cryptic but smaller and allopatric species). As currently understood, P. flanneryi is the largest and most widespread species of Pteralopex . Monotypic.

Distribution. Solomon Is (Buka, Boungainville, Choiseul, Barora Fa, and Santa Isabel).

Descriptive notes. Head—body 247-285 mm (tailless), ear 20-26 mm, forearm 159- 169 mm; weight 790 g (one specimen). Head of the Greater Monkey-faced Fruit Bat is large and flat, with comparatively long, stout, and almost hairless muzzle; nostrils are large, very short, and divergent; and philtrum has side furrow. Eyes are relatively small, with brown irises. Ears are short; tips are round and visible above relatively short, hirsute, blackish brown head pelage; mantle has long black hair; dorsal pelage is black and adpressed; hindlegs are naked or sparsely haired. Throat is sparsely haired; pelage of chest and belly is black or blackish brown and hirsute, without any sign of pale ventral patch. Uropatagium is narrow, and calcar is short. Wings are dark, blackish brown, inserted near spine, and attached to second toe; index claw is present; and all claws are dark. Skull is robust, with strong basicranial deflection. Laterally, rostrum is comparatively long; forehead is flat; orbit is complete, slightly tilted upward; zygomatic root is well above upper alveolar line; and braincase is domed. Dorsally, rostrum is long, nasals and interorbital region are narrow, paranasal recesses are indistinct, postorbital foramina are small and extremely obvious, postorbital constriction is tube-like, temporal lines join behind orbits forming very tall sagittal crest, and nuchal crest is very obvious. Ventrally, palate is long and flat, incisor row is arched, tooth rows are nearly parallel, post-dental palate is relatively long, and ectotympanic very small and wider anteriorly. Mandible is robust, coronoid is vertical and curved, condyle is above sinuous lower alveolar line, and angle is strong and salient, with well-marked masseteric line. There are 14 palatal ridges; first five ridges are smooth, arched, and undivided except first; middle ridges are thick, arched, and divided medially; last ridges are near palation border; and denticulation occurs in middle and last ridges. Dentition is strong and multicuspidate. Upper dentition has large, slightly procumbent incisors with strong basal distal shelves; I' is roundly pointed; I” is larger, more acutely pointed; posterior cingulum is raised; C' is stout and relatively short, with large distal secondary cusp and groove on mesial surface; P! is almost styliform; posterior cheekteeth are large, with anterior and posterobasal ledges, the latter raised to form a cusp, prominent single labial cusp, pieces slightly decreasing in height posteriorly, squarish in occlusal outline; and M? is small. Lower dentition has minute bifid I and very large tricuspidate I, with large basal distal shelf; C, is short, with single cusp and posteriorly raised ledge; P| is relatively very large and tricuspidate; posterior cheekteeth decrease in height posteriorly; occlusal outline is roughly rectangular to rounded posteriorly; distal ledge is raised; main labial cusp is deeply divided; and M,is almost peg-like.

Habitat. [Lowland old growth rainforests from sea level up to elevations of ¢. 200 m.

Food and Feeding. The Greater Monkey-faced Fruit Bat is frugivorous. Strong dentition suggests consumption of hard fruit.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. Greater Monkey-faced Fruit Bats are nocturnal. They roost in branches oftall trees or cavities in fig trees ( Ficus , Moraceae ).

Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Greater Monkey-faced Fruit Bat probably roosts alone.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Critically Endangered on The IUCN Red List. Original population of the Greater Monkey-faced Fruit Bat is fragmented into four land-bridge islands that were joined in a larger, single island during last glacial maximum. It is extremely rare, if not extinct. The Greater Monkey-faced Fruit Bat was recorded between 1964 and 2000 and never again; all recent surveys failed to find it. Conversion of primary lowland forests to agricultural land and increased hunting pressure probably are main threats. A captive breeding program is highly desirable if it is rediscovered.

Bibliography. Helgen (2005), Lavery (20174).

Figures

114. Fijian Long-tailed Fruit Bat (Notopteris macdonald), 115. New Caledonia Long-tailed Fruit Bat (Notopteris neocaledonicus), 116. White-winged Flying Fox (Desmalopex leucopterus), 117. Mindoro Pallid Flying Fox (Desmalopex microleucopterus), 118. Fijizan Monkey-faced Fruit Bat Marimar (: acrodonta), 119. Bougainville Monkey-faced Fruit Bat (Pteralopex anceps), 120. Guadalcanal Monkey-faced Fruit Bat (Pleralopex atrata), 121. Montane Monkey-faced Fruit Bat (Pleralopex pulchra), 122. New Georgia Monkey-faced Fruit Bat (Pleralopex taki), 123. Greater Monkey-faced Fruit Bat (Pleralopex flanneryi), 124. Black-bellied Blossom Bat (Melonycteris melanops), 125. Fardoulis’s Blossom Bat (Nesonycteris fardoulis), 126. Woodford’s Blossom Bat (Nesonycteris woodfordi)

Distribution. Solomon Is (Buka, Boungainville, Choiseul, Barora Fa, and Santa Isabel).