Neoromicia brunnea (Thomas, 1880)

Bates, Paul J. J., Cameron, Kenneth, Pearch, Malcolm J. & Hayes, Benjamin, 2013, A review of the bats (Chiroptera) of the Republic of Congo, including eight species new to the country, Acta Chiropterologica 15 (2), pp. 313-340 : 325-327

Neoromicia brunnea (Thomas, 1880)

Dark-brown pipistrelle

Vespertilio brunneus Thomas, 1880: 165 ; Calabar, Eastern Region, Nigeria.

New material

HZM.1.40191 , ♂, 4 August, 2012, Forest Trails, Lekoumou , 2°45.767’S, 13°36.365’E . This is the first authenticated record for Congo ( Appendix I ). According to Happold and Happold (2013), it has a localized distribution in Africa but is not rare in suitable habitats.

Description

A small, nondescript, dark brown species with a forearm length of 35.7 mm ( Table 2 ). In the ear, the tragus has a straight anterior border; the posterior border has a straightened upper part, a defined angle and then a rounded lower part; there is a small basal lobule ( Fig. 8D ). The skull has a greatest length of 14.27 mm; in lateral view there is a slight concavity between the rostrum and the braincase ( Fig. 12A ). The first upper incisor (I 2) is robust and unicuspid; the second (I 3) is minute and also unicuspid ( Fig. 12A ). There is only one upper premolar (P 4), which has about half the crown area of the first molar (M 1) ( Fig. 12A ). The first lower premolar (P 2) is slightly over half the crown area of the second (P 4) and about half the height. The baculum is very distinct with a crescent shaped, slender shaft, a broad, relatively flattened, bifid tip and the base with two large, well developed lobes ( Fig 11B ). It is comparable in size and shape to that illustrated in Monadjem et al. (2013) for N. brunnea from Mount Nimba, Liberia. It is also similar to that of ‘ Pipistrellus rendalli (? brunneus )’ illustrated in Hill and Harrison (1987: Figure 14b).

Taxonomic notes

According to Happold and Happold (2013), there is currently no recognised subspecies of this taxon.

Figures

APPENDIX I A list of the forty-three bat species currently recorded from Congo, including citations in the literature and locality data. CS (Conservation status – NT: Near threatened; DD: Data deficient; LC: Least concern) is based on IUCN Red List of Threatened Species retrieved on 8 May, 2013. Two species listed here have not been assessed (na) by IUCN for their conservation status but rather have been included within other taxa: Triaenops afer in Triaenops persicus and Chaerephon leucogaster in Tadarida pumila. Superscripts associated with localities in column 4 refer to the superscripts for the literature cited in column 3

FIG. 8. Right tragus of (A): Glauconycteris alboguttata, HZM.1.40172, ♀; (B): G. beatrix, HZM.1.40181, ♀; (C): Hypsugo crassulus, HZM.1.40190, ♂; (D): Neoromicia brunnea, HZM.1.40191, ♂; (E): N. nana, HZM.321.40186, ♂; (F): N. tenuipinnis, HZM.7.40170, ♀; (G): Pipistrellus nanulus, HZM.1.40189, ♂; (H): Mimetillus moloneyi, HZM.10.40177, ♂; (I): Miniopterus inflatus, HZM.19.40182, ♂. Scale = 2 mm

FIG. 12. Skulls of three Neoromicia, including lateral view of right upper incisors, and occlusal view of left mandibular dentition [left] and left maxillary dentition [right] of (A): N. brunnea, HZM.1.40191, ♂; (B): N. nana, HZM.321.40186, ♂ and (C) N. tenuipinnis, HZM.7.40170, ♀. Scales for skulls and occlusal views of toothrows (left and right) = 2 mm; scale for upper incisors (centre) = 1 mm

FIG. 11. Bacula of four pipistrelles. (A): Hypsugo crassulus, HZM.1.40190; (B): Neoromicia brunnea, HZM.1.40191; (C): N. nana, HZM.321.40186; and (D): Pipistrellus nanulus, HZM.1.40189. Scale = 1 mm