Molossus rufus E. Geoffroy, 1805

Loureiro, Livia Oliveira, Gregorin, Renato & Perini, Fernando Araujo, 2018, Diversity, morphological phylogeny, and distribution of bats of the genus Molossus E. Geoffroy, 1805 (Chiroptera, Molossidae) in Brazil, Zoosystema 40 (18), pp. 425-452 : 436

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.5252/zoosystema2018v40a18
publication LSID	urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:2E6C5EBA-6376-4016-A1A6-70F7FC8E5AF4
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4382965
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/1320879D-FFB2-FF98-FC46-FF4D6A16FBAF
treatment provided by	Felipe (2020-12-16 21:58:26, last updated 2024-11-27 09:29:47)
scientific name	Molossus rufus E. Geoffroy, 1805
status

Treatment

Molossus rufus E. Geoffroy, 1805 View in CoL

Molossus rufus E. Geoffroy, 1805: 279 View in CoL .

Molossus castaneus E. Geoffroy, 1805: 279 .

Molossus ursinus Spix, 1823: 59 (type locality: Suburbis Para, Brazil).

Dysopes alecto Temminck, 1826: 231 (type locality:Brazilian lowlands).

Dysopes albus Wagner, 1843: 368 (type locality: Mato Grosso, Brazil).

Dysopes holosericeus Wagner, 1843: 368 (type locality: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil).

Molossus myosurus Tschudi, 1845: 83 (type locality: Cejaregion farm, Ostabhange der Binnencordillera, Peru).

Molossus molossus rufus View in CoL – Peters 1866: 575 (name combination).

Molossus albus – Pelzeln 1883: 43 (name combination).

Molossus fluminensis Lataste, 1891: 658 View in CoL (type locality: Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil).

Molossus molossus fluminensis View in CoL – Trouessart 1897: 143 (name combination).

Molossus nigricans Miller, 1902: 395 View in CoL (type locality: Acaponeta, Tepic [Nayarit], Mexico).

Molossus pretiosus macdougalli Goodwin, 1956: 3 (type locality: San Blas, Tehuantepec, Oaxaca, Mexico).

Molossus ater View in CoL – Goodwin 1960: 4 (not from E. Geoffroy, 1805).

EMENDED DIAGNOSIS. — Largest species of Molossus View in CoL with a dark dorsal pelage varying from dark brown to blackish ( Fig. 10 View FIG ). Monochromatic dorsal hairs or, when dichromatic, with a small pale basal band covering no more than 1/4 of the total length. Dorsal hairs reaching 4.0 mm. Forearm length averaging 50.3 mm in males (47.7-55.2) and 50.0 mm in females (46.7-54.0). Greatest length of skull averaging 22.9 mm (20.8-23.8) in males and 21.3 mm (19.9-22.6) in females ( Table 1 View TABLE ). Skull with inflated rostrum and elongated braincase ( Fig. 11A, C View FIG ). Mastoid process directed laterally in posterior view and occipital square-shaped with highly developed and inclined lambdoidal crests ( Fig. 11B View FIG ). High sagittal crest, particularly in males ( Fig. 11B, D View FIG ). Infraorbital foramen opening laterally in frontal view ( Fig. 11D View FIG ). Basioccipital pits with moderate depth. Triangular rostrum in frontal view ( Fig. 11D View FIG ). Pincer-like upper incisors with converging tips ( Fig. 11D View FIG ).

VARIATION. — The dorsal fur is always very dark, ranging from dark brown to blackish. In some individuals, the entire dorsal hair or just the tips are reddish brown (hence the specific epithet). In females, the sagittal and lambdoidal crests are less robust and the nasal process of the pre-maxilla, although also projecting over the nasal cavity, is less developed than in males.

DISTRIBUTION. — M. rufus is widely distributed in South America, occurring from Trinidad to Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina, and in a large portion of Brazil ( Eger 2008) ( Fig. 12 View FIG ).

REMARKS

M. rufus resembles M. pretiosus in having dark pelage, and similar body and cranial size. However, M. pretiosus tends to be smaller ( Table 1 View TABLE ). M. rufus has higher sagittal crest when compared to M. pretiosus ; the mastoid process in M. rufus is laterally oriented in posterior view ( Fig. 11B View FIG ), while it is ventrally oriented in M. pretiosus ( Fig. 2E View FIG ); and M. rufus has spatulate incisors ( Fig. 11H View FIG ) whereas they are elongated and thin in M. pretiosus ( Fig. 2G View FIG ) (although there are variation among samples).

References

EGER J. 2008. - The family Molossidae, in GARDNER A. L. (Ed.), Mammals of South America. Volume 1. The University of Chicago Press: 399 - 439.

GOODWIN G. G. 1960. - The status of Vespertilio auripendulus Shaw, 1800, and Molossus ater Geoffroy, 1805. American Museum Novitates 1994: 1 - 6.

LATASTE F. 1891. - Description d'une espece nouvelle ou mal connue de chauve-souris. Annali del Museo civico di storia naturale di Genova 2: 658 - 664.

MILLER G. S. JR. 1902. - Twenty new American bats. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 54: 389 - 412.

PELZELN A. VON. 1883. - Brasilische Saugethiere. Resultate von Johann Natterer's Reisen in den Jahren 1817 bis 1835. Verhandlungen der Zoologisch-Botanischen Gesellschaft in Wien 33: 1 - 140. https: // doi. org / 10.5962 / bhl. title. 8930

PETERS W. 1866. - Uber die brasilianischen, von Spix beschriebenen lederthiere. Monatsberichte der Koniglichen Preussische Akademie des Wissenschaften zu Berlin 1866: 568 - 588. https: // www. biodiversitylibrary. org / item / 41574

SPIX J. B. VON. 1823. - Simiarum et vespertilionum Brasiliensiumspecies novae, ou, Histoire naturelle des especes nouvelles de singes et de chauves-souris observees et recueillies pendant le voyage dans l'interieur du Bresil execute par ordre de S. M. le Roi de Baviere dans les annees 1817, 1818, 1819, 1820. Monachii: Francisci Seraphici Hubschmanni: vii + 72: 38.

TEMMINCK C. J. 1826. - Sixieme monographie. Sur le genre molosse. Dysopes (Illig.), in Monographies de mammalogie ou description de quelques genres de mammiferes dont les especes ont ete observees dans les differents musees de l'Europe: 205 - 244. https: // gallica. bnf. fr / ark: / 12148 / bpt 6 k 5800774 n. texteImage

TROUESSART E. L. 1897. - Catalogus mammalium tam viventium quam fossilium. Fasciculus I. Primates, Prosimiae, Chiroptera, Insectivora. Berolini: R. Friedlander & Sohn, l: vi + 218 p. https: // doi. org / 10.5962 / bhl. title. 61437

TSCHUDI J. J. 1845. - Untersuchungen uber die Fauna peruana. Therologie, [parts 3, 4, and 5;]. St. Gallen: Scheitlin und Zollikofer: 77 - 244. https: // doi. org / 10.5962 / bhl. title. 60791

WAGNER J. A. 1843. - Die Saugthiere in Abbildungen nach der Natur mit Beschreibungen von Dr. Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber. Supplementband. Dritter Abtheilung: Die Beutelthiere und Nager (erster Abschnitt). Erlangen: Expedition das Schreber'schen Saugthier - und des Espersschen Schmetterlingswerkes, und in Commission der Voss'schen Buchhandlung in Leipzig, 3: xiv + 614: 85 - 165. https: // doi. org / 10.5962 / bhl. title. 67399

Figures

FIG. 10. — Molossus rufus (E. Geoffroy, 1805). Photo courtesy of Dr Marco A. R. Mello (https://marcoarmello.wordpress.com).

FIG. 11. — Skull of Molossus rufus E. Geoffroy, 1805: A, dorsal view; B, posterior view; C, lateral view; D, frontal view. Scale bar: 1 mm.

FIG. 12. — Geographic range of Molossus rufus (E. Geoffroy, 1805) in Brasil. The numbers represent the localities described in Appendix 1.

FIG. 2. — Variable characters in skull morphology within Molossus E. Geoffroy, 1805 (Pallas, 1766): A, B, lateral views; C, D, ventral views; E, F, posterior view; H, G, frontal view. Numbers represents characters described in the text: 1, skull robustness; 2, sagittal crest; 3, basioccipital pits; 4, projection of the canines; 5, lambdoidal crest and occipital complex; 6, mastoid process; 7, rostrum shape; 8, infraorbital foramen; 9, upper incisors; 10, nasal process. Not to scale.