Triaenops afer Peters 1877

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 : 321-322

Triaenops afer Peters 1877

African trident bat

Triaenops afer Peters, 1877: 913 ; Mombassa, Kenya.

Triaenops persicus majusculus Aellen and Brosset, 1968: 450 . Grotte de Doumboula, Loudima, Congo, 4°15’S, 13°00’E.

New material

HZM.39.40178 , ♂, 29 July, 2012, Airport Road , Lekoumou, 2°45.724’S, 13°34.953’E ; HZM. 40.40179 , ♀ and HZM.41.40180 , ♀, 30 July, 2012 and 3 August, 2012, Lebayi Cave , Lekoumou, 2°42.045’S, 13°35.968’E. Previous records included in Appendix I ; the known distribution corresponds to localities 17, 19, 26, and 29 in Fig. 1 . This species is considered by Happold and Happold (2013) to be very common in some areas of Africa.

Description

A medium-small species with a forearm length of 54.4–57.5 mm ( Table 2 ). The face is characterised by a distinctive noseleaf, which includes three vertical processes projecting from the upper part and a fourth smaller vertical process situated at the base of the middle upper process (for further details of the noseleaf morphology see Monadjem et al., 2010: Figure 93a and b). The second phalanx of the fourth digit is unique in possessing a transverse spicule of bone, which projects from the outer side of its base for a distance of 2.5 to 3 mm into the membrane. The skull (SL: 18.73–20.12) is narrow and elongated with a well developed rostrum. The zygomata are not outwardly flared but are very greatly expanded dorsally. In the upper dentition, the third molar (M 3) is not reduced, having three commissures and a well developed metacone. The baculum is short (1.8 mm); it has a straight shaft with an expanded tip and bilobate base ( Fig. 6B ).

Taxonomic notes

The taxon afer is variably treated as a subspecies of T. persicus ( Simmons, 2005; Monadjem et al., 2010) or as a distinct species ( Happold and Happold, 2013). Benda and Vallo (2009) considered it to be a discrete species confined to Africa based on differences in the skull, baculum and Cytochrome b. Specimens previously collected from southern Congo were described as a new subspecies majusculus Aellen and Brosset, 1968 on the basis of their large size; Cotterill (2001) suggested that majusculus may prove to be a distinct species but this is contrary to Benda and Vallo (2009), who considered even its subspecific status to be questionable. The three specimens from Lekoumou are referred to T. afer majusculus being comparable in size to specimens previously collected from Congo.

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. 1. Localities from which bats have been collected in Congo based on the literature and current study (see Appendix I). Size of red dot is proportional in area to the number of species collected from that locality. Habitat types are based on Bergmans (1979). Localities (listed in Appendix III): (1) Pointe-Noire; (2) Hinda; (3) Loandjili; (4) Tchissanga; (5) Koubotchi; (6) Ménengué; (7) N’Gongo; (8) Dinguembo; (9) Béna; (10) Goumina; (11) Sounda, Gorge of; (12) Makaba; (13) Bouloungi; (14) Dimonika; (15) Mayombe; (16) Bamba, col du Mont; (17a–c) Loudima-Kimongo (includes Cave of Doumboula, Cave of Loudima, and Cave of Viaduc); (18a,b) Kila N’Tari and Mouyondzi; (19a–h) Bangou Massif (includes Bouaboumpono, Cave of Kimanika, Cave of Matouridi, Meya / Cave of Meya-Nzouari, Cave of Meya-Nwadi, Mountembessa, Cave of Mpasa, and Cave of Mpoka); (20) Voka; (21) Kinkala; (22) Ile M’Bamou; (23) La Région du Pool (Stanley Pool); (24) Brazzaville; (25) Grand Bois; (26) Sibiti; (27) Komono; (28) Divenié; (29) Lekoumou; (30) Lesio-Louna Reserve; (31) Ngabé; (32) Plateau Konkouya; (33) Lékana; (34) Djambala; (35) Ewo; (36) Konda; (37) Ubangi (Oubangi); (38) Mouth of Ubangi River; (39) Kellé; (40) Odzala/Odzala National Park; (41) Kango; (42) Impfondo; (43) Epena. Scale as marked. C.A.R.= Central African Republic; D.R. Congo = Democratic Republic of Congo

FIG. 6. Bacula (dorsal view [left] and lateral view [right]) of (A): Hipposideros ruber, HZM.78.40176 and (B): Triaenops afer, HZM.39.40178. Scale = 0.5 mm