A New Bat Species from Southwestern Western Australia, Previously Assigned to Gould’s Long-eared Bat Nyctophilus gouldi Tomes, 1858
Parnaby, Harry E.
King, Andrew G.
Eldridge, Mark D. B.
Records of the Australian Museum
2021
Rec. Aust. Mus.
2021-05-19
73
1
53
66
8LZG4
Parnaby & King & Eldridge, 2021
Parnaby & King & Eldridge
2021
[214,533,1575,1606]
Mammalia
Vespertilionidae
Nyctophilus
Animalia
Chiroptera
7
60
Chordata
species
holtorum
sp. nov.
Figs 1–6
Holotype: WAMM.64188 (previously registered AMM.39799), field number 7HP43, adult male, body in alcohol, skull extracted, captured in a harp trap( bat trap) set on a forest road on the evening of 27 November, 2007 by H. Parnabyand T. Reardon. Fieldmeasurements (mm) of the holotypeare: FA, 40.9; snout-vent length, 50; vent-tail tip length, 46; ear length (from notch), 26.2; hindleg length (with knee and ankle bent), 19.9; body weight, 9 g. Frozen tissue samples (liver) stored at the AM. Paratypes: (total 8 adults, all bodies in alcohol). Northcliffe- Windy Harbour Road, 200 mnorth of road to Mt Chudalup, D’Entrecasteau National Park, 34°45'37"S 116°05'06"E, WA, collected by H. Parnaby, T. Reardonand S. Inglebyon 27 November 2007: AMM.39806 (7HP29) and AM M.39807 (7HP30) both male. Northcliffe-Windy Harbour Road, 3.2 kmsouth of road to Mt Chudalup, 34°47'17"S 116°04'30"E D’Entrecasteau National Park, WA, collected by H. Parnabyand T. Reardonon 27 November 2007: AMM.39809 (7HP33) female, AMM.39810 (7HP34) male; AMM.39811 (7HP38) male; AM M.39812 (7HP40) male; c. 10 kmnortheast of Waroona, 32°47'54"S 116°00'53"E, WA, collected H. Parnabyand T. Reardonon 27 November 2007: AM M.39813 (7HP41) female. Manjimup Post Office, 34°15'00"S 116°32'00"E: WAM M.19164, female, body in alcohol, skull extracted, collected by M. Sawle1980. Frozentissue samples (liver) stored at the AMand SAM for all paratypesexcept WAMM.19164. Specimens examined. See Appendix. The typeseries consists of 9 specimens, others are referred specimens. Type locality: State Forestc. 10 kmnortheast of Waroona, 32°47'54"S 116°00'53"E[WGS84 ± 20 m], Western Australia.
Diagnosis: A species of medium body size for the genus, closely resembling N. gouldi sensu strictoin external appearance, cranial and dental morphology but differs by an average sequence divergence of 5.0 % at the mitochondrial gene COI. It differs further in that the braincase tends to be broader for N. gouldi sensu strictoof equivalent GSL ( Figs 3and 4), as reflected by greater MASB ( Fig. 3a); the anterior of the braincase tends to be more inflated laterally, and the skull tends to be relatively shorter e.g., FA vs. GSL ( Fig. 3c) and FA vs. CM3 ( Fig. 3d). Differs from N. daedalus sensu stricto, which has a relatively broader, larger skull (GSL: males greater than 17.3 mm, females greater than 17.6 mm); relatively much smaller auditory bullae that are set further apart, and more reduced M 3, i.e. the second and third “commissures” of M 3are much shorter relative to the first commissure. Further differs in typically having a more developed (higher) post-nasal mound and relatively longer ears than N. daedalus sensu stricto. Differs from sympatric N. geoffroyiin shape and relative development of the post-narial snout elevation, which is divided by a vertical median groove ( Fig. 5) compared to the distinct median Y-shaped groove in N. geoffroyiand the latter species averages smaller in general size, e.g., FA typically less than 38 mm; smaller mean body weight (e.g., combined sexes mean 6.3 vs. 10.0, Fullard et al., 1991). Distinguished from sympatric N. majorwhich has a low post-nasal snout mound and is a distinctly larger species, e.g., FA typically greater than 42 mm; GSL greater than 18.8 mmvs. less than 17.3; C1-C1 greater than 5.7 mmvs. less than 4.9 mm; CM3 greater than 7.0 mm vs. less than 6.2 mm. Differs from N. major torwhich has a low post-nasal snout mound; has a more reduced M 3; has a longer and more elongate baculum shaft, and averages larger for body and skull dimensions (see Parnaby, 2009). Differs from N. arnhemensis Johnson, 1959which has relatively shorter ears (less than 24 mm), a relatively smaller postnasal snout mound. If further differs from that species in relatively much larger auditory bullae, distal tip of the baculum forms a simple point compared to a bifid tip in N. arnhemensis, and the latter species has relatively much smaller urethral lappets.
Etymology. Named in honour of the late Dr John Holt and Mrs Mary Holt in recognition of their generous long-term support of Australian biodiversity research and conservation.
Distribution. Restricted to four IBRA regions in far southwestern Western Australia( Fig. 6). We are aware of only one voucher-based locality record from the southern Avon Wheatbelt (from the Tambellup district), a region that has been extensively cleared of native vegetation. The specimen (WAM M.593) was collected by F. R. Bradshaw and registered in 1923 (probably Frederick Robert Bradshaw of Tambellup, Whittell, 1954). The species is primarily found in taller marri and jarrah forests with a dense shrubby understory. Two other Nyctophilusspeciesare sympatric with N. holtorum sp. nov., N. majorand N. geoffroyi. Common name. Holt’s Long-eared Bat.
WAM, AM
H. Parnaby & T. Reardon. Field
7
60
2
holotype
2007-11-27
AM
H. Parnaby & T. Reardon & S. Ingleby
D'Entrecasteau National Park
200
-34.760277
Windy Harbour Road
19
116.085
Mt Chudalup
7
60
1
2007-11-27
AM
D'Entrecasteau National Park, WA & H. Parnaby & T. Reardon
-34.788055
Northcliffe-Windy Harbour Road
19
116.075
Mt Chudalup
7
60
1
2007-11-27
AM
H. Parnaby & T. Reardon
-32.798332
Waroona
20
116.014725
7
60
1
WAM
-34.25
Manjimup Post Office
19
116.53333
7
60
1
AM, SAM
M. Sawle & Frozen
7
60
1
WAM
7
60
1
paratype
20
-32.798332
Waroona
20
116.014725
State Forest
7
60
1
Western Australia