Diadem Leaf-nosed Bat Hipposideros Diadema Research Articles

A new species of Chiroptella Vercammen-Grandjean, 1960 (Acari: Trombiculidae) from diadem leaf-nosed bat Hipposideros diadema (Geoffroy) (Chiroptera: Hipposideridae) in Bali Island (Indonesia) with distribution records, hosts, and a key to the species of the genus

A new chigger mite Chiroptella baliensis n. sp. is described based on material from the diadem leaf-nosed bat Hipposideros diadema (Geoffroy) (Hipposideridae) in Bali Island (Lesser Sunda Islands, East Indonesia). With this newly described species, the genus Chiroptella includes 22 species, 13 in the subgenus Chiroptella Vercammen-Grandjean, 1960 (sensu stricto), and 9 in the subgenus Neosomia Vercammen-Grandjean, 1968. Species of Chiroptella are distributed throughout the Ethiopian region, the Oriental region, and the Australian region (and only marginally throughout the Palaearctic region) and are all associated with several families of bats. The paper also provides a key to all members of the genus and the new combinations for two species originally described as Chiroptella.

Rudnicula goffi n. sp. (Acariformes: Trombiculidae) from the diadem leaf-nosed bat Hipposideros diadema (Geoffroy) (Chiroptera: Hipposideridae) on Bali, Indonesia.

A new species of chigger mite, Rudnicula goffi n. sp., is described from the diadem leaf-nosed bat Hipposideros diadema (Geoffroy) (Hipposideridae) caught in the Goa Peteng Cave on Bali (Indonesia). The new species differs from the closely related species by the presence of scutum with AL windows, lateral scutal margins with cuticular striations and fSt = 2 + 2 + 2. A list of all available records of Rudnicula species is provided. The genus is restricted to the tropics of Southeast Asia, Australia, Melanesia, and the subtropics of eastern Asia. A key to the known species of Rudnicula based on the morphology of the larvae is also provided.

First record of the Diadem Leaf-Nosed Bat Hipposideros diadema (E. Geoffroy, 1813) (Chiroptera: Hipposideridae) from the Andaman Islands, India with the possible occurrence of a hitherto unreported subspecies

The Diadem Leaf-nosed Bat Hipposideros diadema (E. Geoffroy, 1813) is recorded for the first time from the Andaman Islands, India. A solitary female specimen was collected on October 13, 2015 from a limestone cave on Baratang Island. Cranial measurements and other morphological characters indicate that the specimen differs from the endemic subspecies, the Nicobar Diadem Leaf-nosed Bat Hipposideros diadema nicobarensis (Dobson, 1871), but compares favourably with the South-east Asian subspecies, Mason’s Diadem Leaf-nosed Bat Hipposideros diadema masoni (Dobson, 1872), in description, craniodental characters, and echolocation calls. This is the first record of Hipposideros diadema (E. Geoffroy, 1813) from Andaman Islands, and the subspecies Mason’s Diadem Leaf-nosed Bat Hipposideros diadema masoni (Dobson, 1872) from India.

Bat Predation on Eared Moths: A Test of the Allotonic Frequency Hypothesis

Many species of moths (Lepidoptera) possess ears which enable them to hear the echolocation calls of bats and avoid predation. The range of best hearing of eared moths is to frequencies usually between 20 and 50 kHz; therefore, bats with calls above or below these frequencies are predicted to capture eared moths more frequently than other bats. This prediction is the basis of the allotonic frequency hypothesis. We conducted a field test of the hypothesis using three species of flutter-detecting bats which capture flying insects. The species were diadem leafnosed bat Hipposideros diadema (call frequency 55-58 kHz), eastern horseshoe bat Rhinolophus megaphyllus (67-71 kHz) and dusky leafnosed bat H. ater (160-164 kHz). Eared moths represented only 7.2% of individuals among prey remains of H. diadema. Moths dominated the diet of both R. megaphyllus and H. ater, being present in almost all faeces and representing the vast majority of prey remains. However, R. megaphyllus captured predominantly non-eared moths (Anthelidae, Lasiocampidae, Hepialidae) or Gelechioid moths, a superfamily which has not been tested for hearing. By contrast, H. ater fed mostly on eared moths, predominantly members of the family Noctuidae. Eared moths made up 91.7% and 82.5% of all moths captured by H. ater at two sites. The data show that the incorporation of eared moths in the diet was much higher in the bat species, H. ater, with a call frequency well above the range of best hearing of moths. This result supports the allotonic frequency hypothesis. Our study indicates that flutter-detecting bats could have imposed selective pressures on moths during the evolution of moth hearing.