Rhinolophus lepidus Blyth, 1844

Huang, Joe Chun-Chia, Jazdzyk, Elly Lestari, Nusalawo, Meyner, Maryanto, Ibnu, Maharadatunkamsi, Wiantoro, Sigit & Kingston, Tigga, 2014, A recent bat survey reveals Bukit Barisan Selatan Landscape as a chiropteran diversity hotspot in Sumatra, Acta Chiropterologica 16 (2), pp. 413-449 : 429

Rhinolophus lepidus Blyth, 1844 /

R. pusillus Temminck, 1834 Blyth’s horseshoe bat/Least horseshoe bat

New records

Lampung Province: Lombok Village, Pemerihan Village, Sukaraja Forest, Sukaraja Village, Way Canguk Forest.

New material

Four individuals were collected as specimens. Lampung Province: Pemerihan Village , 1♀ ( MZB 35051) ; Sukaraja Forest , 1♂, 1♀ ( MZB 35795, 35796 ) ; Way Canguk Forest , 1♀ ( MZB 35798) .

Previous records from Sumatra

North Sumatra Province: Deli for R. lepidus ( van Strien, 1996) ; Medan for R. pusillus ( Csorba et al. 2003) .

Remarks

This small Rhinolophus can be distinguished from other Rhinolophus species either by its smaller body size or by the shape of the connecting process, which is triangular and pointed at the tip. The posterior noseleaf (lancet) is triangular and pointed at tip. The coloration is light brown, grayish brown, or orange tipped with buffy brown. Individuals are generally characterized by yellowish brown and yellow skin of the face. Based on the characters above, this bat is most similar to R. lepidus and R. pusillus in the pusillus species group. The two Rhinolophus are hard to be distinguished externally and the taxonomic relationship between the two species is not clear ( Csorba et al., 2003). Some studies suggest that peak frequency (F MAXE) is a diagnostic trait to distinguish R. lepidus and R. pusillus ( Kingston et al., 2000; Zhang et al., 2009; Hughes et al., 2010). However, the discrepancy in echolocation calls reported from those studies indicates there is no clear relationship between peak frequency and species ( R. lepidus versus R. pusillus : 100 kHz and 92.5 kHz in Kingston et al., 2000; 92–95 kHz and 100–111 kHz in Zhang et al., 2009; 100.1 kHz and 112.5 kHz in Hughes et al., 2010). Thus, we are not able to assign our samples to either of the two species. Individuals were captured with harp traps with an elevation from 50–507 m a.s.l. in lowland rainforest as well as plantations near forest in our study area. It was recorded roosting in the Gimbar 2 cave at Way Canguk Forest, and using houses as night roosts and feeding sites in Pemerihan Village.