Promops Centralis Research Articles

Description of the echolocation pulses of insectivorous bats with new records for Southwest Colombia

Despite the high diversity of bats in neotropics, traditional methods such as mist nets, harp traps and roost detection have limitations in capturing that diversity in a landscape, with most detected species restricted to those that forage in the undergrowth or enclosed spaces. Therefore, acoustic records become a tool that complements and enhances the efforts to get more complete bat inventories while avoiding alterations in usual foraging activities and disruption in their life cycles. This study describes the acoustic parameters (spectral and temporal variables) of the echolocation pulses of insectivorous bats to characterise different species of bats in Southwest Colombia acoustically. We recorded echolocation calls between December 2017 and May 2020 in the Andean and Pacific regions of the Department of Nariño. We analysed 81 sequences of echolocation calls from eight bat species belonging to three families: Vespertilionidae, Molossidae and Emballonuridae. We perform recordings on free-flying bats with identity corroboration by capture for recording in flight rooms and examination in the hand. Myotis riparius and Lasiurus blossevillii were recorded for the first time in the Nariño Department. M. albescens, M. keaysi, M. riparius and L. blossevillii (Vespertilionidae) had pulses of frequency modulated (FM) with a quasi-constant frequency (QCF) ending; Molossus molossus, Tadarida brasiliensis and Promops centralis (Molossidae) had pulses with constant frequency (CF) and QCF; and Saccopteryx bilineata (Emballonuridae) had pulses with QCF. This study contributes to the efforts to facilitate the identification of insectivorous bats of the Neotropics using the acoustic monitoring approaches, represents a reference to compare the acoustic studies in Southwestern Colombia and contributes to increasing our knowledge of the bat diversity in the region.

Aerial insectivorous bats in the Brazilian-Uruguayan savanna: Modelling the occupancy through acoustic detection

The Pampa is the least protected and one of the least sampled for bats among the Brazilian domains. This leads to significant Linnean and Wallacean shortfalls for bats in the Brazilian-Uruguayan savanna ecoregion. Here, we aimed to model the occupancy of aerial insectivorous bats in response to landscape structure at different scales, considering the influence of microclimate on bat detection. We acoustically monitored 68 locations during the spring and summer of 2019/2020, gathering data on temperature and humidity associated with each acoustic record using data loggers. We detected at least 11 species of the Molossidae and the Vespertilionidae families, of which 9 were used in the model. The response to landscape structure was species-specific: the occupancy probability of Eptesicus brasiliensis and Molossus cf. currentium increased with landscape connectivity at the 500 m scale while Eptesicus furinalis and Histiotus cf. velatus were negatively affected by landscape connectivity at the 5.0 km scale. Molossus occupancy probability responded negatively to landscape heterogeneity at the 3.0 km scale, while Promops centralis responded positively to landscape heterogeneity at the 5.0 km scale. Molossus rufus responded negatively to native vegetation cover and positively to landscape heterogeneity at the 5.0 km scale. Myotis albescens and Molossops temminckii did not respond significantly to any of the evaluated landscape metrics. Our results show that different bat species perceive the landscape differently, regardless of the guild of use of space – edge- or open-space forager. Our estimate of projected occupancy for the areas contiguous to those sampled ranged from 0.45 to 0.70 for the whole of the bat taxa, suggesting that the landscape, particularly where it still maintains its native elements, is reasonably favourable to aerial insectivores.

Second capture of Promops centralis (Chiroptera) in French Guiana after 28 years of mist-netting and description of its echolocation and distress calls

ABSTRACT The Amazonian basin harbours some of the most bat-diverse ecosystems worldwide. Yet, information on elusive, high-flying bat species such as Molossidae is scarce or virtually missing in the literature, which hampers conservation efforts both locally and globally. The recent advent of new technologies specifically designed to survey bats, such as passive ultrasound detectors and acoustic lures, has significantly increased understanding of bat ecology and distribution, and has allowed researchers to gather new and valuable information which was impossible to collect in the past. We undertook a rapid bat diversity assessment in French Guiana using acoustic lures to aid in capturing high-flying insectivorous bat species. Here we report the second and third capture record of Promops centralis (Chiroptera, Molossidae) for French Guiana, captured after 28 years since the first and only captures so far in the county. One individual was a post-lactating female and represents the first record of breeding P. centralis in French Guiana. We provide (i) morphometric and acoustic data (including the species’ distress calls) as well as detail photography to aid in species identification; and (ii) COI and CytB sequences of the two individuals (first mitochondrial sequences for French Guiana).

Acoustic records of Promops centralis (Thomas, 1915) (Chiroptera, Molossidae) in corn agroecosystems of northwestern Mexico

The Big Crested Mastiff Bat, Promops centralis (Thomas, 1915), is widely distributed from Mexico to South America but has yet to be reported in the state of Sinaloa, Mexico. We collected 122 acoustic recordings of P. centralis from tropical dry forest and agroecosystems in Sinaloa and Sonora for two years (2015 and 2016). We documented a new record for P. centralis outside the known distribution area in northwestern Mexico. Our results reveal that the current P. centralis distribution needs to be reevaluated.

First record of Promops centralis Thomas, 1915 (Chiroptera, Molossidae) in Santa Fe province, Argentina

We present the first record of Promops centralis Thomas, 1915 for Santa Fe province, Argentina. This species was previously known in Argentina only from Formosa province. This new record adds a second province to the distribution of this species in Argentina and a new ecoregion, the Espinal. Furthermore, this record extends the distribution area of P. centralis by almost 610 km to the south and increase to 24 the number of bats species in Santa Fe province.

Molossid unlimited: extraordinary extension of range and unusual vocalization patterns of the bat, Promops centralis

AbstractThe big crested mastiff bat, Promops centralis, occurs in Central and South America, but knowledge of its ecology is limited due to its open space hunting strategy, making captures extremely challenging. Notwithstanding, members of the species produce echolocation calls that are easy to identify. After recording calls of P. centralis 1,500 km away from its known range in Brazil, we hypothesized that the distribution range of this species was probably greatly underestimated. To improve the accuracy of P. centralis’ real distribution, we employed acoustic surveys throughout parts of Brazil, conducted after a bibliographic review to gather additional records, and used MaxEnt to model the species’ potential distribution. We have found that P. centralis has a much wider distribution in South America than previously thought, adding more than 3.8 million km2 to its former known area. We also describe an unusual vocalization pattern of P. centralis, with individuals emitting at least three very distinct but highly variable calls. This study shows that bioacoustic surveys and species distribution models can complement traditional methodologies in studying species that are difficult to capture, such as P. centralis, potentially contributing to more effective conservation and management plans.

Bat species richness in the region of the Central Valleys of Oaxaca, Mexico

We present a revised checklist of bat species occurring in the semi–urbanized region of the Central Valleys of Oaxaca, Mexico. The checklist is based on surveys using mist nets, recordings of echolocation calls, data from literature, and museum databases. Results show that the Central Valleys of Oaxaca have a species richness of 33 bat species belonging to 22 genera and five families. Species like the Mustached bat Pteronotus parnellii, the Western Red bat Lasiurus blossevillii and the Free–tailed bat Promops centralis were recorded after 32, 30 and 19 years respectively according to the records of the literature. We also recorded four species classified in some risk category according to either the Mexican government’s red list (NOM–059) or the IUCN red list. The recordings of the echolocation calls are the first from the region of Central Valleys of Oaxaca. Bat diversity in the Central Valleys of Oaxaca was underestimated and emphasizes the need for further research

New state record and range extension of the Big Crested Mastiff Bat, Promops centralis Thomas, 1915 (Chiroptera, Molossidae), in Veracruz, Mexico

The diversity of bats in the Mexican state of Veracruz is high, comprising 89 species. Many of these species deserve special attention because either they remain underrepresented in collections, or they are known from fewer than 5 localities. We confirm the presence of the Big Crested Mastiff Bat (Promops centralis) in Veracruz, and provide additional occurrence records that extend the known geographic distribution of this species by 216 km to the north from previously known sites. Our new record represents the northernmost record of the species on the coastal plain of the Gulf of Mexico. Our findings highlight the presence of gaps in past surveys of mammalian diversity in Veracruz.

Murciélagos de Guanajuato: Perspectiva Histórica y Actualización de su Conocimiento

En esta contribución se presenta una revisión de la fauna de quirópteros del estado de Guanajuato, desarrollada principalmente con una perspectiva histórica aunque también con el propósito de iniciar la puesta al día de su conocimiento. Se revisó la literatura disponible desde la época y obra de Alfredo Dugès en el Siglo XIX hasta 2005. También se revisó la sinonimia, con lo que aquí se actualiza la nomenclatura científi ca. Se registra al murciélago mastín mayor (Promops centralis) por primera vez para Guanajuato y se provee una lista consolidada de las especies; 17 hasta el momento. Se hace un breve diagnóstico del estado del conocimiento sobre los murciélagos de Guanajuato y se comenta sobre la importancia de mejorarlo en los plazos corto y medio.

Bats of Jaú National Park, central Amazônia, Brazil

Although recognized as highly diverse, the bat fauna of the Amazon basin has been only patchily sampled. This paper combines data from five short surveys conducted between 1998 and 2001 in Jau National Park, 220 km east of Manaus, central Amazonia. We used mistnets, recordings of echolocation calls and roost visits to provide the first bat inventory for this area. A total of 53 bat species in 33 genera and five families were documented, including several species that are regarded as rare, in particular Saccopteryx gymnura, Vampyriscus brocki, Molossops neglectus, and Promops centralis. The Chao 1 index indicates that sampling is about 72% complete, suggesting that around 73 bat species might co-exist in Jau. We compare the composition of Jau's bat fauna to those of other sites in Amazonia and interpret the resulting patterns of diversity. Data on reproduction are given for 14 species.

Species diversity of bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) in Iwokrama Forest, Guyana, and the Guianan subregion: implications for conservation

Fourteen species of bats are reported for the first time from Guyana (Saccopteryx gymnura, Micronycteris brachyotis, M. homezi, Lichonycteris obscura, Anoura latidens, Vampyressa pusilla, Vampyrodes caraccioli, Eptesicus chiriquinus, Cynomops paranus, Molossops neglectus, Molossus sp., Molossus coibensis, Molossus sinaloae, and Promops centralis) bringing the known bat diversity for the country to 121 species. Information including measurements, reproductive data, distribution, and taxonomy are provided for these species. Seven of these new records were collected in the Iwokrama International Rain Forest Programme site in central Guyana. Eighty-six bat species are now documented from Iwokrama Forest which is the highest species diversity for bats reported from any protected area in the world. There are, however, few tropical sites that have relatively complete inventories. A summary for bat species diversity in southern Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana indicates that at least 146 species of bats are known from the Guianan subregion. Intense inventory surveys, especially in the often neglected subcanopy, suggest that species richness is probably underestimated in most Neotropical areas. Likewise, species-level diversity in the Guianan subregion is higher than previously suggested. Surveying and monitoring biodiversity are critical to developing a National Protected Areas System in Guyana.

Geographic Distribution of Molossops neglectus Williams and Genoways (Chiroptera: Molossidae)

Molossops neglectus Williams and Genoways (1980) was described on the basis of one female from 1 km S, 2 km E Powaka, Suriname, now deposited in the Carnegie Museum of Natural History (CM 53864). It was previously known only from the type locality (Eisenberg, 1989). To date, males of this species have not been described. We recently collected two males in Perui, and subsequently discovered unreported specimens at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington (USNM) and the Natural History Museum, London (BM). These specimens reveal a much broader geographic range that extends to Brazil and Peru, and provide the first data on sexual dimorphism for this remarkable, but poorly known, species. The earliest record of M. neglectus is an adult male cataloged on 21 July 1851 as part of Lord Derby's collection (BM 51.7.21.19). Unfortunately, it is without data. The skull is fragmented and the braincase, right mandible, and anterior third of the left mandible are missing. On 11 March 1963, Philip Humphrey shot a juvenile male near Belem, Para, Brazil (USNM 335843). The bat was flying over secondary growth near primary lowland rain forest at about 0615 h. This specimen represents the first record of the species from Brazil. Belem is ca. 1,200 km southeast of the type locality in Suriname (Fig. 1). The skull of this specimen is also broken, but most of the trenchant features are visible. In August 1968, Merlin Tuttle collected two pregnant females from San Juan, Oxapampa, Pasco, Perui (USNM 364484 and 364485). Although Tuttle (1970) reported them as M. temmincki, they actually represent the first records of M. neglectus from Perui. This locality is about 2,800 km southwest of the type locality, and 3,200 from Belem, Brazil (Fig. 1). Both specimens have complete skulls. In July 1989, we collected one male in a mist net set about 20 m above the ground, and in December 1990, we collected a second male 25 m above the ground. The collecting site was a clearing in primary forest at the Centro de Investigaci6n Jenaro Herrera, Requena, Loreto, Perui. The specimens were deposited in the Museo de Historia Natural de la Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos (MUSM 5517; 6573). The narrow clearing had been clear-cut in May-June 1989 as part of a study of forest regeneration after logging. The records of M. neglectus now known (Fig. 1) probably represent only the eastern and western margins of the true distribution. We suspect it will eventually be shown to occur in Venezuela and Colombia as well. Its occurrence in the heart of the Amazon basin may be less likely, as there are other bat species (e.g., Pteronotus gymnonotus, Micronycteris daviesi, Lichonycteris obscura, Vampyressa pusilla, and Promops centralis) that occur in northern South America and extend southward down both sides of the Amazon basin, but have as yet been unrecorded from the central part of the basin (Koopman, 1982; Mok et al., 1982). Molossid bats frequently are difficult to collect using standard techniques, and their apparent distribution patterns may be in part a reflection of our inability to detect their presence. Until the central part of the Amazon basin has been sampled systematically, the distribution patterns of many such species will remain enigmatic. The females of M. neglectus (holotype and specimens from San Juan, Peru) are similar in size (length of forearm, in mm, 35.70, 35.65, 35.75; condylobasal lengths, in mm, 15.40, 15.55, 15.95, respectively). The subadult male from Brazil is slightly larger than the females (length of forearm, 36.60 mm; condylobasal length, 16.65 mm). The adult males from Loreto are considerably larger than the other specimens (length of forearm, 38.20 mm in both; condylobasal lengths, 17.00 and 17.52 mm). Distinct sexual dimorphism is common in the family Molossidae. Any assessment of geographic variation in this species must await accumulation of additional specimens. The lower canines are short and the posterior keel is reduced in the females, and to a lesser extent in the juvenile male. These teeth are longer and much more robust in the adult males, but without an appreciable posterior keel. The upper incisors are long, but not prognathous. They are separated in females, and restricted