Pteropus ennisae, Flannery & White, 1991

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Pteropodidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 16-162 : 149

162.

New Ireland Masked Flying Fox

Pteropus ennisae

French: Roussette de Nouvelle-Irlande / German: Neuirland-Flughund / Spanish: Zorro volador de Nueva Irlanda

Taxonomy. Pteropus temmincki [sic] ennisae Flannery & White, 1991 ,

“secondary forest near Madina (2°55’S, 151°23’E), New Ireland,” Papua New Guinea.

F. C. Almeida and colleagues in 2014 provided evidence of 4-7% sequence divergence in cytochrome-b between former subspecies capistratus and ennisae . Morphological differences also support distinction at the species level. Pteropus ennisae is in the capistratus species group. Monotypic.

Distribution. Bismarck Archipelago (New Ireland I).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 155-190 mm (tailless), ear 18-23 mm, hindfoot 32- 39 mm, forearm 109-118 mm; weight 170-250 g. Muzzle of the New Ireland Masked Flying Fox is short, rhinarium is dark, eyes are large, and irises are dark brown. Ears are broad and triangular, with rounded tips. Face is dark gray-brown, eyes are encircled by faint white extending forward to lateral rostrum, and darker band extends from rostrum to between eyes and onto forehead. Mantle is whitish gray, with central band of yellow-tipped hairs. Ventral hairs are bicolored, with dark brown bases and yellowish brown tips giving overall frosted appearance. Wing membranes are semi-transparent, with anastomosing darker veins. Wings originate from sides of body. Skull is delicately built, similar to that of the New Britain Masked Flying Fox ( P. capistratus ), with pronounced basicranial deflection, short and thin rostrum, large orbits, long postorbital process, postorbital constriction, and sagittal and nuchal crests not marked. Dentition is relatively weak, with noticeable diastemata.

Habitat. [Lowland and hill rainforests and secondary forests bordering gardens.

Food and Feeding. New Ireland Masked Flying Foxes are frugivorous. Two individuals were observed feeding on cluster figs ( Ficus , Moraceae ).

Breeding. Lactating New Ireland Masked Flying Foxes and a female carrying a nearterm fetus were captured in June-July.

Activity patterns. New Ireland Masked Flying Foxes are nocturnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. The New Ireland Masked Flying Fox roosts alone or in small groups among foliage.

Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix II. Not assessed on The IUCN Red List. The New Ireland Masked Flying Fox was included in the New Britain Masked Flying Fox (EP caprstratus), which was classified as Near Threatened. The New Ireland Masked Flying Fox appears to occur in low abundance on a single island, New Ireland.

Bibliography. Almeida et al. (2014), Bonaccorso (1998), Flannery (1995a), Flannery & White (1991), Smith & Hood (1981).

Figures

161. New Britain Masked Flying Fox (Pleropus capistratus), 162. New Ireland Masked Flying Fox (Pleropus ennisae), 163. New Caledonia Flying Fox (Pteropus vetula), 164. Common Samoan Flying Fox (Pteropus samoensis), 165. Banks Flying Fox (Pteropus fundatus), 166. Vanuatu Flying Fox (Pleropus anetianus), 167. Vanikoro Flying Fox (Pleropus tuberculatus), 168. Temotu Flying Fox (Pteropus nitendiensis), 169. Solomons Flying Fox (Pteropus rayneri), 170. Makira Flying Fox (Pteropus cognatus), 171. Rennell Flying Fox (Pteropus rennelli), 172. Temminck’s Flying Fox (Pteropus temminckui), 173. Gray-headed Flying Fox (Pteropus poliocephalus)

Distribution. Bismarck Archipelago (New Ireland I).