Monophyllus Redmani Research Articles

Cochlea development shapes bat sensory system evolution.

Sensory organs must develop alongside the skull within which they are largely encased, and this relationship can manifest as the skull constraining the organs, organs constraining the skull, or organs constraining one another in relative size. How this interplay between sensory organs and the developing skull plays out during the evolution of sensory diversity; however, remains unknown. Here, we examine the developmental sequence of the cochlea, the organ responsible for hearing and echolocation, in species with distinct diet and echolocation types within the ecologically diverse bat super-family Noctilionoidea. We found the size and shape of the cochlea largely correlates with skull size, with exceptions of Pteronotus parnellii, whose high duty cycle echolocation (nearly constant emission of sound pulses during their echolocation process allowing for detailed information gathering, also called constant frequency echolocation) corresponds to a larger cochlear and basal turn, and Monophyllus redmani, a small-bodied nectarivorous bat, for which interactions with other sensory organs restrict cochlea size. Our findings support the existence of developmental constraints, suggesting that both developmental and anatomical factors may act synergistically during the development of sensory systems in noctilionoid bats.

Inventario rápido de los vertebrados terrestres del Parque Nacional “Desembarco del Granma”, Niquero, Granma, Cuba

Se aporta la lista de vertebrados terrestres de cuatro localidades del Parque Nacional “Desembarco del Granma”, municipio Niquero, provincia Granma. Las aves presentaron la mayor riqueza de especies (54) y los reptiles el mayor grado de endemismo a nivel de especie y/o subespecie (79 %). En el caso de los anfibios se reporta Eleutherodactylus tonyi, especie endémica y amenazada, y se discute el estado taxonómico de las poblaciones de E. cf. varians de Cabo Cruz. En los reptiles se registra por primera vez Hemidactylus angulatus, especie exótica e invasora; y se discute el estado de conservación de las poblaciones Anolis ruibali, un endémico local. Para las aves se recomienda extender los muestreos a otras épocas del año con el objetivo de registrar la entrada de especies migratorias. En los mamíferos, se registra por primera vez Monophyllus redmani, Chilonatalus macer, Mormoops blainvillei y Pteronotus parnelli para esta localidad. La presencia de una cueva caliente en el sendero Morlotte-Fustete aporta un valor adicional desde el punto de vista ecológico y ameritaría replantear planes de conservación y manejo para el área.

New Species of the Genus Periglischrus (Acari: Spinturnicidae) from Monophyllus Bats (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) in the West Indies, Including a Morphometric Analysis of Its Intraspecific Variation.

The discovery of a new species, Periglischrus empheresotrichus, was determined through a review of museum collections, as well as a field survey of ectoparasites of island bats. This new species parasitizes on two bat species of the genus Monophyllus Leach, the Greater Antillean Long-tongued bat Monophyllus redmani Leach and the Lesser Antillean Long-tongued bat Monophyllus plethodon Miller. The female, male, deuthonymphs, and protonymph are described and illustrated. P. empheresotrichus n. sp. has an insular distribution, we evaluated the morphological variation of the adult populations, and concluded that intra-specific variation is correlated both with host species and locality (island) in the West Indies.

Salt has contrasting effects on the digestive processing of dilute nectar by two Neotropical nectarivorous bats

Nectarivorous vertebrates might include sugar-dilute nectar in their diet and they are expected to undergo compensatory feeding. However, physiological constraints might limit the intake of sugar-dilute nectar, affecting energy budgets. Among other physiological processes, the limiting role of osmoregulation is supported by enhanced intake rate of dilute sugar solutions by avian nectarivores when salt is added. We tested if the Greater Antillean Long-tongued bat (Monophyllus redmani) and the Brown flower bat (Erophylla sezekorni) compensated energy intake when fed dilute-sugar solutions (2.5 and 5% sucrose), and if salt content (11, 20 and 40 mM NaCl l−1) modulated the intake rate of these solutions. Both species were unable to compensate intake of solutions with varying sugar densities, and energy intake on the 2.5 and 5% diets was lower than on the most concentrated diets (10, 20 and 30% sucrose). Both species responded differently to the addition of salt. Salt addition did not affect the intake of 2.5% sugar solutions by the Greater Antillean Long-tongued bat, and it decreased the intake of 5% sugar solutions. In contrast, the Brown flower bat increased the intake of 2.5 and 5% sugar solutions when salt was added. Intake responses to varying sugar densities of our two focal species and that of other bat species previously studied indicate that they are not uniform and that they might be modulated by digestive and osmoregulatory physiological traits.

Phylogeography of Dominican Republic bats and implications for systematic relationships in the Neotropics

The majority (90%) of native terrestrial mammal species living in the Dominican Republic are bats, and two-thirds of these species are endemic to the Caribbean. However, recent molecular studies using DNA barcoding of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene have suggested at least a 25% underestimation of biodiversity in bats throughout the world. A recent survey of bats in the Dominican Republic documented 15 of the 18 known species on the island of Hispaniola. Phylogenetic analysis of 132 individuals resulted in well-supported monophyletic species-level clades (maximal bootstrap values) with intraspecific variation ranging from 0% to 4.7% and interspecific variation ranging from 14.1% to 32.5%. A phylogeographic pattern separating the northern and southern Dominican Republic was recovered in 3 species of bats (Macrotus waterhousii, Pteronotus parnellii, and Pteronotus quadridens). The inclusion of broader geographic sampling across the Neotropics indicated that 3 widely distributed species (Eptesicus fuscus, Molossus molossus, and Monophyllus redmani) have high sequence divergence among insular or between insular and continental populations. Further systematic study is needed to identify morphologically cryptic species and their implications for conservation priorities in the Caribbean.

Records of the Cave-Dwelling Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) of Hispaniola with an Examination of Seasonal Variation in Diversity

Despite a long history of scientific collection of bats, Hispaniola remains the least studied island of the Greater Antilles. Using standardized trapping methods during the wet and dry season at four major caves — Honda de Julian, La Chepa, Los Patos, and Pomier #4, we sampled a total of 1,472 individuals in four families, 11 genera and 12 species (of 18 recorded for the island). We report significantly fewer captures on the second night of sampling. We document seasonal variation in abundance of Macrotus waterhousii, Monophyllus redmani, and Artibeus jamaicensis, that results in 1–4 more species captured in the wet season. Additionally, singleton captures at all caves except for Honda de Julian produced wide confidence intervals in estimates of richness. Finally, we highlight the role of caves as major ecosystems for maintaining Hispaniolan mammal biodiversity. The high diversity recorded at La Chepa, together with possible declines at the historically very diverse Los Patos, highlight the conservation i...

Impact of Wind Facilities on Bats in the Neotropics

We monitored the bat fatalities caused by a 13 turbines wind facility installed in western Puerto Rico (West Indies) over a period of 23 months. The post-construction monitoring includes observed fatalities and a corrected fatality estimate expressed as bats/ turbine/year adjusted for bat carcass removal rates, searcher efficiency, and percent area searched. Data on seasonality of fatalities and distance of carcasses from turbines is also provided. Eleven out of the 13 species of bats in Puerto Rico suffered fatalities, including all five species of phyllostomids. These were: Molossus molossus and Tadarida brasiliensis (Molossidae); Artibeus jamaicensis, Monophyllus redmani, Stenoderma rufum, Brachyphylla cavernarum and Erophylla bombifrons (Phyllostomidae); Noctilio leporinus (Noctilionidae); Eptesicus fuscus and Lasiurus minor (Vespertilionidae); and Mormoops blainvillei (Mormoopidae). This is one of the first published reports of the impact of wind turbines on bats in the Neotropics.

Bartonella spp. in a Puerto Rican bat community.

We captured and sampled 68 bats of six species from a shared roosting site in Puerto Rico in April 2012. Bats were screened for Bartonella spp. by culture and confirmed by PCR and sequencing for the gltA gene. Bartonella cultures were obtained from blood specimens of 9/51 (18%) individuals from three species (Artibeus jamaicensis, Brachyphylla cavernarum, and Monophyllus redmani). Phylogenetic analysis of the gltA sequences showed that M. redmani was infected with multiple, diverse Bartonella strains, and A. jamaicensis was infected with a strain related to a strain from a congeneric host. Ectoparasite load could possibly explain observed differences in Bartonella diversity and prevalence between bat species in this community, and we suggest future research to substantiate these preliminary findings.

Horas de éxodo y estacionalidad de los murciélagos en cuatro cuevas de República Dominicana

Se estudiaron los patrones de emergencia y estados reproductivos de las poblaciones de murciélagos en cuatro cuevas de la República Dominicana. Se capturó un total de 12 especies: Mormoops blainvillei, Pteronotus parnellii, Pteronotus quadridens, Chilonatalus micropus, Natalus major, Artibeus jamaicensis, Brachyphylla pumila, Erophylla bombifrons, Macrotus waterhousii, Monophyllus redmani, Phyllonycteris poeyi y Eptesicus fuscus. Los murciélagos se capturaron de forma más o menos continua entre las 18:15 y 23:00h. De un total de 1,445 ejemplares a los cuales se les determinó el sexo, 969 fueron machos (67.1%). Los resultados obtenidos con respecto a la actividad reproductiva muestran cómo las especies presentes en las cuevas se encuentran en estados reproductivos diferentes, registrándose ejemplares preñadas o lactantes, pertenecientes a dos familias dominantes: Mormopidae y Phyllostomidae. Además, que se contrastaron reportes de Cuba y Puerto Rico donde se muestra que algunas especies podrían tener épocas reproductivas más largas que las reportadas actualmente.

Morphology, Diet and Flower‐visiting by Phyllostomid Bats in Cuba

AbstractPollinator morphology can play an important role in structuring plant–pollinator relationships and a pollinator's morphology may be associated with aspects of its diet. We examined the relationship between morphology and the partitioning of flower‐based food resources for five species of flower‐visiting Cuban bats: Artibeus jamaicensis, Brachyphylla nana, Erophylla sezekorni, Monophyllus redmani and Phyllonycteris poeyi. We analyzed cranial traits and body size to assess differences among species with respect to morphological specializations. We also collected dietary data from guano and used acoustic monitoring to assess bat activity at flowers. We found evidence that bats partition floral resources, but we found no direct evidence that plants were limiting resources for the bats. Morphological similarity among bat species did not predict dietary overlap. Rather it was associated with phylogenic relationships among some species. Species with different morphological specialization for flower‐visiting consumed resources and visited food plants at different frequencies.

Food resource partitioning in syntopic nectarivorous bats on Puerto Rico

Abstract:Understanding the dietary needs of syntopic species is essential for examining species coexistence and resource partitioning. We analysed stable isotopes of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) to estimate the diet of two putative nectarivorous bats on Puerto Rico, the brown flower bat (Erophylla bombifrons) and the Greater Antillean long-tongued bat (Monophyllus redmani). Isotopic ratios of δ13C and δ15N were obtained from whole blood of both species of bat and tissues of available plant foods and insect prey over 15 wk at the same locality. We used a concentration-dependent Bayesian mixing model to determine probability distributions of feasible dietary contributions for major potential foods used by each species of bat. Additionally, separate dietary estimates were conducted for males and non-reproductive, pregnant and lactating females to determine differences due to reproductive condition. Insects were an important source of protein for M. redmani, whereas E. bombifrons obtained most of its protein from plants. In both species of bat, lactating females had lower assimilated nitrogen than males, suggesting more reliance on plants for protein. We observed no intraspecific differences in assimilated carbon among reproductive conditions. Flight and lactation are energetically expensive and may explain the increased consumption of high-energy foods, such as fruit or nectar, in lactating female bats. Comparison of isotopes between E. bombifrons and M. redmani illustrate the differential use of food resources by these insular syntopic species of bat.

Unusual temporal niche overlap in a phytophagous bat ensemble of western Cuba

Abstract:We assessed the differences and similarities in diel activities among five phytophagous bat species at two habitats over two seasons within the Sierra del Rosario Biosphere Reserve in Cuba. We characterized temporal patterns of activity and overlap of temporal activity for frugivore and nectarivore bat species (Artibeus jamaicensis,Monophyllus redmani,Phyllonycteris poeyi,Phyllops falcatusandBrachyphylla nana) that occur in tropical evergreen forest sites with distinct altitude and vegetation structure during wet and dry seasons. Capture frequencies using mist-nets of 1180 capture events were the empirical basis for analyses. For each species we compared activity patterns between habitats, between seasons, between males and females, as well as between reproductive and non-reproductive females. We also assessed temporal overlap among each possible pair of species at each habitat and used Monte Carlo simulations to evaluate assemblage-wide temporal niche overlap using a new algorithm, termed Rosario, designed specifically for temporal data. The two habitats had the same species composition and bat diel rhythms tended to be consistent across habitats, seasons and sexes for most bat species. In general bat species pairwise temporal niche overlap was high, and the ensemble-wide temporal overlap was consistently high across habitats and seasons indicating a common constraint for bat activities. Activity peaks of most bat species coincided at 4–5 h after sunset, this being in sharp contrast to other Neotropical bat assemblages at continental sites where activity peaks usually overlap within the first 2 h after sunset. This strong disparity in timing of activity peaks between continental and insular bat assemblages can provide the framework for the generation of hypotheses that explain the potential role of time as a mediator of ecological interactions in bat assemblages.

Quaternary Bat Diversity in the Dominican Republic

The fossil record of bats is extensive in the Caribbean, but few fossils have previously been reported from the Dominican Republic. In this paper, we describe new collections of fossil bats from two flooded caves in the Dominican Republic, and summarize previous finds from the Island of Hispaniola. The new collections were evaluated in the context of extant and fossil faunas of the Greater Antilles to provide information on the evolution of the bat community of Hispaniola. Eleven species were identified within the new collections, including five mormoopids (Mormoops blainvillei, †Mormoops magna, Pteronotus macleayii, P. parnellii, and P. quadridens), five phyllostomids (Brachyphylla nana, Monophyllus redmani, Phyllonycteris poeyi, Erophylla bombifrons, and Phyllops falcatus), and one natalid (Chilonatalus micropus). All of these species today inhabitant Hispaniola with the exception of †Mormoops magna, an extinct species previously known only from the Quaternary of Cuba, and Pteronotus macleayii, which is currently known only from extant populations in Cuba and Jamaica, although Quaternary fossils have also been recovered in the Bahamas. Differences between the fossil faunas and those known from the island today suggest that dispersal and extirpation events, perhaps linked to climate change or stochastic events such as hurricanes, may have played roles in structuring the modern fauna of Hispaniola.

Predation by Free-Roaming Cats on an Insular Population of Bats

Free-roaming cats are known to adversely impact native faunas in the areas where they have been introduced, an impact that is even greater on islands. We examine the predation of bats by cats at Culebrones cave, Puerto Rico, West Indies. Culebrones cave is a hot cave located in the karst region of northern Puerto Rico. The temperature gradient inside the cave sustains a multi-species assemblage of bats consisting of approximately 300,000 individuals of six species, namely: Brachyphylla cavernarum, Erophylla bombifrons, Monophyllus redmani, Mormoops blainvillei, Pteronotus quadridens and Pteronotus parnellii. Even though rats are often their primary prey, cats will use alternative prey, which enables them to maintain their abundance when one prey is not available. In Puerto Rico, birds and reptiles are known to be preyed upon by cats. Although cats are commonly observed in or around bat caves in Puerto Rico, this is the first systematic attempt to evaluate their role as bat predators. We made observations of the hunting strategy of cats using an infrared camera and recorded the number of wings left as remains of these hunting bouts. Wings were identified to species. Cat scats were also recovered and examined to identify prey species. Our results suggest that captures of different species of bats is not a function of their abundance in the cave. While M. blainvillei (11 g) and P. quadridens (5 g) are the most abundant species in the cave, B. cavernarum (50 g) and M. redmani (11 g) are captured in greater numbers by the cats.

Disparate feeding strategies used by syntopic Antillean nectarivorous bats to obtain dietary protein

Protein is essential for growth and reproduction. We used nitrogen stable isotope analysis to reconstruct protein (i.e., nitrogen) dietary origin in 2 Antillean nectarivorous bats with contrasting morphology of the masticatory apparatus: the Greater Antillean long-tongued bat (Monophyllus redmani, Glossophaginae) and Poey's flower bat (Phyllonycteris poeyi, Phyllonycterinae). M. redmani has a masticatory apparatus that is more adapted to feed on flowers, whereas P. poeyi has a feeding structure that resembles the structure of frugivorous bats. M. redmani relied on a mixture of nitrogen derived from insects and plants, and P. poeyi depended more on plant nitrogen. Based on previous findings in fecal contents, we concluded that M. redmani obtained plant nitrogen mainly from pollen, and P. poeyi obtained it predominantly from fruits. Our study suggests that jaw morphology plays a major role in dietary diversification among nectarivorous bats to obtain protein.

New Records for the Bat Fauna of Mona Island, Puerto Rico, with Notes on their Natural History

We conducted two surveys of Mona Island, off the western coast of Puerto Rico. Bats were surveyed using mist nets and an ANABAT. Five species are reported for the island, two (Monophyllus redmani and Molossus molossus) represent new records for the island. We document the occurrence of maternity colonies of bats in hot caves.

Host-Parasite Interactions of Tropical Bats in Puerto Rico

Bats are receiving increasing attention in the parasitological world due to their potential role as reservoir hosts for zoonotic pathogens. However, details of the macroparasitic fauna (helminths and ectoparasites) are currently recorded and studied. Here, we start to address this paucity of data by detailing a study where we have documented the macroparasite fauna of a sample of tropical bats (Mormoops blainvillei, Pteronotus quadridens, and Monophyllus redmani) from Puerto Rico. Additionally, we investigated the possible host characteristics influencing the prevalence and intensity of macroparasite infection. Macroparasites were collected and identified from three species of bat, which were thoroughly washed and dissected. The overall parasite community of all three bat species consisted of a range of ectoparasites as well as the cestode Vampirolepis christensoni and the nematode Capillaria pusilla, although there was considerable variation in the parasite community of each individual species. We discovered bat flies of a previously undescribed species of the Nycterophilia genus as well as new parasite records for all three species of bats. All parasites had an aggregated distribution within the host population. Differences were observed in the intensity of the helminths between bat species, but not for ectoparasite prevalence. As the helminth intensity increased so the ectoparasite intensity decreased. Overall, the helminth intensity was female-biased and increased, for both sexes with increasing body mass; no sex-bias or body mass effects were associated with ectoparasite prevalence.

Habitat use by phyllostomid bat assemblages in secondary forests of the ‘Sierra del Rosario’ Biosphere Reserve, Cuba

ABSTRACT Using mist-nets, we studied the composition of bat assemblages in four distinct secondary habitats of the Sierra del Rosario Biosphere Reserve, Cuba. For each individual captured we recorded reproductive condition, seeds in feces, and pollen species. Of the 550 bats captured during 41 nights of sampling, 97% belonged to six species of Phyllostomidae, and 88.7% belonged to just three: Artibeus jamaicensis, Phyllonycteris poeyi and Monophyllus redmani. The total number of captures varied among the four sites, being higher in the two more disturbed sites although this may have been an artifact of the use of ground-level mist-nets in vegetation of different structure. However the higher capture frequencies found in these sites could be related to the availability of understory fruits and the less dense understory vegetation too, allowing some species to exploit resources farther from forest edges. On three sites, the captures included a common large frugivore, two common nectarivores, and two uncommo...

DIET OF TWO NECTARIVOROUS BATS, EROPHYLLA SEZEKORNI AND MONOPHYLLUS REDMANI (PHYLLOSTOMIDAE), ON PUERTO RICO

We examined the diet of 2 island-dwelling phyllostomids, the brown flower bat (Erophylla sezekorni) and the Greater Antillean long-tongued bat (Monophyllus redmani), by analyzing fecal contents and pollen swabs from >100 individuals of each species. Although both bats are putative nectar-feeders, their feeding niches were differentiated. A greater proportion of M. redmani (91%) consumed nectar compared with E. sezekorni (50%), but the reverse was true for fruits (22% versus 85%, respectively); about 75% of both species included insects in their diets. However, insect consumption in E. sezekorni was dominated by coleopterans, whereas in M. redmani, diet was more diverse and included soft-bodied prey, such as lepidopterans and dipterans. Both species consumed fruits of Panama berry (Mutingia calabura) and elder (Piper aduncum), but E. sezekorni also included turkey berry (Solanum torvum). When consuming nectar, E. sezekorni often fed at flowers of guava (Psidium guajava), whereas M. redmani visited flowers of guava, woman's tongue (Albizia lebbek), myrtle (Eugenia), and wild tamarind (Leucaena leucocephala). Interspecific differences in diet are consistent with published differences in craniodental and wing (flight) characteristics. The more diverse diet of M. redmani and its lesser reliance on fruit may allow it to survive stochastic events, such as hurricanes, and recover more quickly than populations of E. sezekorni.

Nonrandom Aggregations and Distribution of Cave-Dwelling Bats in Puerto Rico

I surveyed use of caves by bats in Puerto Rico. The exact location of each species of bat within the roost was determined for 17 caves. A comparison of variance was performed on the data to test the null hypothesis that occurrence of each species was independent of the others. Nonrandom associations were common among cave-dwelling bats in Puerto Rico. The species showing the strongest associations—Monophyllus redmani, Mormoops blainvillii, and Pteronotus quadridens and Erophylla sezekorni and P. parnellii—were associated with hot caves.