Mimetillus moloneyi Thomas, 1891

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

Mimetillus moloneyi Thomas, 1891

Moloney’s flat-headed bat

Mimetilus moloneyi Thomas, 1891: 528 ; Lagos, Nigeria.

New material

HZM.10.40177 , ♂, 29 July, 2012, Airport Road, Lekoumou , 2°45.724’S, 13°34.953’E . This is the first authenticated record for Congo ( Appendix I ). Happold and Happold (2013) suggested that this species is probably not uncommon but because of its high flight is relatively rarely encountered.

Description

A medium-small bat but with a greatly shortened forearm (30.2 mm) ( Table 2 ) and a reduced wing; the phalanges of third, fourth and fifth digits are all excessively short. The fur is extremely short and together with the wings, interfemoral membrane, ears and face is dark brown throughout. The inner margin of each ear is considerably thickened; the tragus has a very short anterior border, a broadly rounded tip and a longer posterior border ( Fig. 8H ). The skull, which has a greatest length of 14.19 mm ( Table 3 ) is characteristically broad and flattened with a broad flat rostrum, a broad flat braincase and a well-developed supraorbital tubercle on each side (damaged in the specimen illustrated in Fig. 10B ). The first upper incisor (I 2) is small and bicuspid; the second (I 3) is about half the height of I 2 and unicuspid ( Fig. 10B ). The upper premolar (P 4) is less than half the crown area of the first molar (M 1) ( Fig. 10B ). The first lower premolar (P 2) is minute, about half the crown area of the second (P 4). Despite dissecting the penis, no baculum was found; this agrees with Hill and Harrison (1987: 237) who also reported the absence of a baculum.

Taxonomic notes

This specimen from Congo is here assigned to the nominate race (see Simmons, 2005 and Happold and Happold, 2013 for further comments on the 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. 10. Skulls of three small vespertilionids, including lateral view of right upper incisors and occlusal view of left mandibular dentition (left) and left maxillary dentition (right) of (A): Hypsugo crassulus, HZM.1.40190, ♂; (B): Mimetillus moloneyi, HZM.10.40177, ♂ and (C) Pipistrellus nanulus, HZM.1.40189, ♂. Scales for skulls and occlusal views of toothrows (left and right) = 2 mm; scale for upper incisors (centre) = 1 mm