Chaerephon Pumilus Research Articles

Kenyan Free-Tailed Bats Demonstrate Seasonal Birth Pulse Asynchrony with Implications for Virus Maintenance

Ecological information on wildlife reservoirs is fundamental for research targeting prevention of zoonotic infectious disease, yet basic information is lacking for many species in global hotspots of disease emergence. We provide the first estimates of synchronicity, magnitude, and timing of seasonal birthing in Mops condylurus, a putative ebolavirus host, and a co-roosting species, Mops pumilus (formerly Chaerephon pumilus). We show that population-level synchronicity of M. condylurus birthing is wide (~ 8.5 weeks) and even wider in M. pumilus (> 11 weeks). This is predicted to promote the likelihood of filovirus persistence under conditions of bi-annual birthing (two births per year). Ecological features underlying the magnitude of the birth pulse—relative female abundance (higher than expected for M. condylurus and lower for M. pumilus, based on literature) and reproductive rate (lower than expected)—will have countering effects on birthing magnitude. Species-specific models are needed to interpret how identified birth pulse attributes may interact with other features of molossid ebolavirus ecology to influence infection dynamics. As a common feature of wildlife species, and a key driver of infection dynamics, detailed information on seasonal birthing will be fundamental for future research on these species and will be informative for bat-borne zoonoses generally.

Epidemiology and molecular study of Leptospira spp. in bats and rodents in the Republic of Guinea

Introduction: Leptospirosis is a zooanthroponosis caused by spirochete bacteria called leptospire of the genus Leptospira. Objective: To contribute to the knowledge and circulation of the Leptospira germ in humans in the Republic of Guinea. Methods: This prospective and descriptive cross-sectional study lasted 18 months, from June 2019 to December 2020. Results: 687 samples, including 388 bat kidney tissues and 299 kidney tissues from captured rodents, were analysed at IRBAG's Guineo-Russian laboratory. The molecular diagnostic technique (RT-qPCR) and sequencing were carried out. Among rodents, 15 species were captured in the various administrative regions of Guinea: Mastomys natalensis, Mastomys erythroleucus. Mastomys sp, Praomys daltoni, Praomys rostratus, Praomys sp, Rattus rattus, Mus musculus, Mus musculoides, Mus sp, Lemmiscomys striatus, Gerbilliscus guineae, Cricetomys gambianus, Crocidura olivieri, Crocidura sp. The N’zérékoré region recorded the highest number of captures 226 (87 Mastomys natalensis ,61 Mus musculus, 46 Crocidura sp. 26 Rattus rattus, 5 Crocidura olivieri, 1 Mus sp. ), followed by the Kindia region with 66 cases (25 Rattus rattus ,18 Mastomys sp, 10 Mastomys erythroleucus, 6 Mus musculus, 2 Praomys daltoni, 2 Praomys sp, 2 Mus musculoides, 1 Praomys rostratus, 1 Lemmiscomys striatus, 1 Gerbilliscus guineae, 1 Cricetomys gambianus), the Faranah region with 4 cases (3 Mus musculoides,1 Mastomys sp.). The Mamou, Boké and Labé regions recorded no cases. Sixteen species of bats were captured and tested: Rousettus aegyptiacus, Lissonycteris angolensis, Epomophorus gambianus, Hipposideros jonesi, Hipposideros ruber, Hipposideros abae, Hipposideros sp., Rhinolophus sp., Chaerephon sp.., Chaerephon major, Chaerephon pumilus, Mops condylurus, Mops sp., Nycteris sp., Scotophilus leucogaster, Miniopterus sp. The Kindia region recorded the highest number of positive carriers 184 (102 Hipposideros ruber, 14 Lissonycteris angolensis, 13 Hipposideros jonesi,13 Mops condylurus,12 Hipposideros sp., 8 Rousettus aegyptiacus,8 Chaerephon pumilus, 5 Hipposideros abae,3 Scotophilus leucogaster,3 Miniopterus sp.,2 Rhinolophus sp.,1 Mops sp.), the N'Zérékoré region 134 cases (1 Lissonycteris angolensis, 1 Chaerephon sp.,41 Chaerephon major, 6 Chaerephon pumilus, 94 Mops condylurus,1 Mops sp,1 Nycteris sp.),the Boké region 52 cases (50 Hipposideros ruber, 2 Rhinolophus sp.),the Faranah region 7 cases (7 Epomophorus gambianus), the Mamou and Labé regions recorded 0 cases each. Mastomys sp. 3/17, Praomys daltoni 0/2, Praomys rostratus 1/1, Rattus rattus 1/13, Mus musculus 0/5, Mus musculoides 0/0, Crocidura olivieri), the Nzérékoré region with 4 positive cases out of 129. (Mastomys natalensis 1/37, Rattus rattus 1/14, Crocidura sp.2/30), the Faranah region recorded 0 positive cases out of a total of 4 (Mastomyssp. 0/1, Mus musculoides 0/3) and the Boké region 0 cases out of a total of 0. Mastomus natalensis, number of specimens 56 including 14 positive cases, i.e. 6.9%; P.daltoni, number of specimens 3 including 2 positive cases, i.e. 1.43%; Praomus sp, number of specimens 7 including 0 positive cases; Rattus rattus, number of specimens 75 including 1 positive case, i.e. 0.48%; Mus musculus, number of specimens 3 including 0 positive cases; P.fallax, number of specimens 1 including 0 positive cases; L.sikapusi, number of specimens 1 including 0 positive cases; Crocidura sp, number of specimens 2 of which 0 positive; S.leucogaster, number of specimens 32 of which 0 positive; T. thersites, number of specimens 23 of which 0 positive; N.hispida, number of specimens 4 of which 0 positive; E.helvum, number of specimens 2 of which 0 positive. Sequencing yielded fragments of the LiP32 gene were isolated from all positive samples. Analysis established the identity of the samples with the L. interrogans genome. Conclusion: The results obtained prove that the leptospirosis pathogen does circulate in the Republic of Guinea in both rodents and bats.

Natural Infection of Sandfly Vector and Reservoir Hosts Species with Leishmania Parasites in Mt. Elgon Cave Habitats in Kenya

Leishmaniasis is a major public health problem caused by a parasite of the genus Leishmania which is transmitted through the bite of an infected female phlebotomine sandfly. However, the disease epidemiology on interactions of causative agents, reservoir hosts, and vectors in areas where there is a high prevalence of the disease needs to be properly understood to inform effective control. The present study was conducted to determine natural infection by Leishmania parasites in phlebotomine sandfly vectors and suspected reservoir hosts found in caves in Mount Elgon in Kenya. Sandflies, bats and rock hyraxes were found inhabiting the assessed caves in the study area. A total of 5688 sandflies collected from caves were morphologically identified and analyzed for infectivity with Leishmania parasites by molecular characterization sequencing using Cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI). Giemsa-stained blood smears and spleen and liver impression smears prepared from bats, and hyraxes collected from the same caves were examined microscopically for Leishmania amastigotes. The sandflies, bats, and hyraxes were identified morphologically using taxonomic keys. The results showed that randomly selected COI sequences (n = 5) of three different morphologically identified Phlebotomus species were positive for Leishmania based on their molecular characteristics. Five species of bats were identified, and they were significantly more abundant compared to hyraxes (χ2 = 16.7845, df = 7, P = 0.0002). The bats’ species had a higher prevalence of Leishmania parasites compared to hyraxes (F = 7.342, P = 0.0043). Cardioderma cor, Chaerephon pumilus and Rhinolophus clivosus bat species had more than 5% Leishmania parasite prevalence rate. Leishmania amastigote density was significantly higher in the liver (F = 39.232, P < 0.001) compared to the density in the blood (F = 75.1124, P < 0.001) of bats and hyraxes. This study has shown that transmission of Leishmania parasites in Mt. Elgon caves involves vertebrate reservoir hosts (bats and hyraxes) and the insect vector species (sandfly). Therefore, disruption of the life cycle of the Leishmania parasites should be done by targeting these reservoir animals and the sandfly vector.

In vivo characterization of the novel ebolavirus Bombali virus suggests a low pathogenic potential for humans

ABSTRACT Ebolaviruses cause outbreaks of haemorrhagic fever in Central and West Africa. Some members of this genus such as Ebola virus (EBOV) are highly pathogenic, with case fatality rates of up to 90%, whereas others such as Reston virus (RESTV) are apathogenic for humans. Bombali virus (BOMV) is a novel ebolavirus for which complete genome sequences were recently found in free-tailed bats, although no infectious virus could be isolated. Its pathogenic potential for humans is unknown. To address this question, we first determined whether proteins encoded by the available BOMV sequence found in Chaerephon pumilus were functional in in vitro assays. The correction of an apparent sequencing error in the glycoprotein based on these data then allowed us to generate infectious BOMV using reverse genetics and characterize its infection of human cells. Furthermore, we used HLA-A2-transgenic, NOD-scid-IL-2γ receptor-knockout (NSG-A2) mice reconstituted with human haematopoiesis as a model to evaluate the pathogenicity of BOMV in vivo in a human-like immune environment. These data demonstrate that not only does BOMV show a slower growth rate than EBOV in vitro, but it also shows low pathogenicity in humanized mice, comparable to previous studies using RESTV. Taken together, these findings suggest a low pathogenic potential of BOMV for humans.

Exposure of Egyptian Rousette Bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) and a Little Free-Tailed Bat (Chaerephon pumilus) to Alphaviruses in Uganda.

The reservoir for zoonotic o'nyong-nyong virus (ONNV) has remained unknown since this virus was first recognized in Uganda in 1959. Building on existing evidence for mosquito blood-feeding on various frugivorous bat species in Uganda, and seroprevalence for arboviruses among bats in Uganda, we sought to assess if serum samples collected from bats in Uganda demonstrated evidence of exposure to ONNV or the closely related zoonotic chikungunya virus (CHIKV). In total, 652 serum samples collected from six bat species were tested by plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) for neutralizing antibodies against ONNV and CHIKV. Forty out of 303 (13.2%) Egyptian rousettes from Maramagambo Forest and 1/13 (8%) little free-tailed bats from Banga Nakiwogo, Entebbe contained neutralizing antibodies against ONNV. In addition, 2/303 (0.7%) of these Egyptian rousettes contained neutralizing antibodies to CHIKV, and 8/303 (2.6%) contained neutralizing antibodies that were nonspecifically reactive to alphaviruses. These data support the interepidemic circulation of ONNV and CHIKV in Uganda, although Egyptian rousette bats are unlikely to serve as reservoirs for these viruses given the inconsistent occurrence of antibody-positive bats.

Species delineation and genetic structure of two Chaerephon species (C. pusillus and C. leucogaster) on Madagascar and the Comoro archipelago.

Cryptic species diversity is known to be common in bats but remains challenging to study in these mammals, whose natural history traits render their sampling and monitoring challenging. For these animals, indirect genetic approaches provide a powerful tool to gain insight into the evolutionary history and ecology of cryptic bat species. The speciation history of the polyphyletic Chaerephon pumilus species group (Molossidae) is poorly understood, including those found on western Indian Ocean islands. Two species in this complex have been identified in the Comoros: C. pusillus and C. leucogaster. Here, we aim to genetically characterize these two species and investigate their spatial population genetic structure. Analyzing five nuclear microsatellite markers from 200 individuals and one mitochondrial DNA gene (Cyt-b) from 161 (out of the 200) individuals sampled on Madagascar and the Comoros, our findings indicated that these species are genetically differentiated. We observed mitonuclear discordance in numerous individuals (33% of the 161 mtDNA-sequenced individuals). Based on ABC analyses, we found that this pattern could potentially be the result of asymmetric introgressive hybridization from C. leucogaster to C. pusillus and calls for further studies on the demographic history of these species. Moreover, at the intra-specific level, analyses of the microsatellite loci suggested the evidence of a more pronounced, although weak, geographically based genetic structure in C. pusillus than in C. leucogaster. Altogether, our findings provide preliminary insights into the eco-evolutionary aspects of this species complex and warrant further research to understand hybridization dynamics and mechanisms responsible for mitonuclear discordance.

A Scale for Quantifying Behavior Based on Aggressiveness in Bats

Behavior and personality play a crucial role in the evolution and ecology of animal species. We have limited knowledge of bat personality traits, partially due to the time, equipment, and facilities needed to measure them. To help fill this gap, we developed a scale for quantifying aggressiveness in bats that can be used during ordinary fieldwork and handling by researchers. This scale is based on observations of the following ecologically relevant and easily observed behaviors in wild-captured bats during routine handling: amount and intensity of physical struggling, teeth-baring, and biting. We then applied this scale to 35 wild-caught individual bats belonging to three different species or species groups (Chaerephon pumilus, n=29; Scotophilus dinganii, n=3; and pipistrelloid bats, n=3) and measured agreement between observers using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). We found that agreement between observers was good to excellent. This scale of aggressiveness provides an important, practical tool for researchers to reliably quantify this personality trait in wild bats that requires no additional equipment and minimal additional handling time. Collecting data on aggressive behavior during handling has the potential to increase our understanding of both intra- and interspecific variation in aggressiveness in bats, as well as the influence of this trait on many aspects of bat ecology. Finally, collecting data using this scale can facilitate comparisons between studies and promote research at broader spatial and temporal scales than commonly used in behavioral ecology studies.

New data on bats from Dire Dawa region, eastern Ethiopia, with the first record of Rhinopoma microphyllum in the country

ABSTRACT A small collection of bats composed of six species from Dire Dawa area, eastern Ethiopia, is presented. Besides three species previously known in the region, Rousettus aegyptiacus, Epomophorus minimus and Chaerephon pumilus, three bats were newly documented from the area, Rhinopoma microphyllum, R. cystops and Scotophilus leucogaster. R. microphyllum is here reported for the first time in Ethiopia. From molecular genetic comparisons Ethiopian R. cystops belongs to the Arabian subspecies lineage R. c. arabium, previously unknown from the African continent, raising interesting biogeographic questions.

Sonar Surveys for Bat Species Richness and Activity in the Southern Kalahari Desert, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is located in northwestern South Africa and extends northeastward into Botswana. The park lies largely within the southern Kalahari Desert ecosystem where the Auob and Nassob rivers reach their confluence. Although these rivers run only about once every 100 years, or shortly after large thunderstorms, underground flows and seeps provide consistent surface water for the parks sparse vegetation and diverse wildlife. No formal studies on bats have previously occurred at Kgalagadi. We used SM2 + BAT ultrasonic detectors to survey 10 sites along the Auob and Nassob rivers from 5–16 April 2016. The units recorded 3960 call sequences that were analyzed using Kaleidoscope software for South African bats as well as visual determinations based on call structure attributes (low frequency, characteristic frequency, call duration, and bandwidth). We identified 12 species from four families: Rhinolophidae: Rhinolophus fumigatus. Molossidae: Chaerephon pumilus, and Sauromys petrophilus, Tadarida aegyptiaca; Miniopteridae: Miniopteris schreibersi (natalensis), Vespertilionidae: Laephotis botswanae, Myotis tricolor, Neoromicia capensis, N. nana, Pipistrellus hesperidus, Scotophilus dinganii, and S. viridus. The most abundant species during the survey period was N. capensis. We also used paired-site design to test for greater bat activity at water sources compared to dry sites, with dry sites being significantly more active. We conclude that species richness is much higher than previously known from this region and that more species may be present during the warmer months of the year. In addition, activity of bats during the dry season in Kgalagadi would likely be more concentrated around drinking opportunities, thus allowing for better detection of species richness in the area.

The discovery of Bombali virus adds further support for bats as hosts of ebolaviruses.

Here we describe the complete genome of a new ebolavirus, Bombali virus (BOMV) detected in free-tailed bats in Sierra Leone (little free-tailed (Chaerephon pumilus) and Angolan free-tailed (Mops condylurus)). The bats were found roosting inside houses, indicating the potential for human transmission. We show that the viral glycoprotein can mediate entry into human cells. However, further studies are required to investigate whether exposure has actually occurred or if BOMV is pathogenic in humans.

Bat species diversity and distribution in a disturbed regime at the Lake Bogoria National Reserve, Kenya

AbstractHuman population growth drives intrusion and progressive conversion of natural habitats for agriculture. We evaluated human impacts on bat species diversity and distribution among four vegetation types in and around Lake Bogoria National Reserve between November 2012 and July 2013. Plants were surveyed using the Braun–Blanquet cover/abundance method, whereas bats were sampled using standard mist nets erected on poles at ground level. Floristic similarity analysis revealed three broad vegetation assemblages, namely riverine vegetation, farmland and Acacia woodland/Acacia–Commiphora woodland. Two hundred and 33 bats representing eleven species in eleven genera and seven families were recorded. These were Epomophorus minimus, Rhinolophus landeri, Hipposideros caffer, Cardioderma cor, Lavia frons, Nycteris hispida, Chaerephon pumilus, Mops condylurus, Neoromicia capensis, Scotoecus hirundo and Scotophilus dinganii. Species richness estimators indicated that sampling for bats at ground level was exhaustive. Bat species richness and diversity were highest in the more structurally complex Acacia woodland compared to more homogenous farmlands where we recorded only common and generalist species that often occur in open habitats. The higher bat species richness and diversity in the Acacia woodland as compared to farmland underscore the importance of remnant natural savannah woodlands in the conservation of bats and other elements of biodiversity.

Partial support for the classical ring species hypothesis in the Chaerephon pumilus species complex (Chiroptera: Molossidae) from southeastern Africa and western Indian Ocean islands

AbstractWe examined phylogenetic and phylogeographic relationships (cyt

Discordance between mitochondrial and nuclear genetic structure in the bat Chaerephon pumilus (Chiroptera: Molossidae) from southern Africa

The aim of this study was to investigate the evolutionary determinants of genetic structure in a molossid bat, Chaerephon pumilus, from South Africa based on 306 nucleotides of the mitochondrial control region and six microsatellite markers. We recovered strong mitochondrial genetic structure, with 90% of the molecular variance occurring among four phylogenetically-defined groups. Mismatch distributions and Bayesian skyline analyses of mitochondrial data indicated that the sample comprised subgroups, which were at demographic equilibrium over the Late Pleistocene era. Analyses based on microsatellite data contrasted strongly with the mitochondrial data. Three admixed populations were recovered; only 3% of the nuclear variance occurred among populations, which was low and not significant. This is indicative of little nuclear genetic structure among the groups of C. pumilus, which appear to comprise a single interbreeding population. Consistent with this, global Fis was not significant. Such high levels of mitochondrial genetic structure in the absence of significant nuclear structure are consistent with female philopatry, secondary contact between diverged genetic lineages and introgression.

Light pollution at stadiums favors urban exploiter bats

Artificial night lighting by humans may destabilize ecosystems by altering light-dependent biological processes of organisms and changing the availability of light and darkness as resources of food, information and refuge. I tested the hypothesis that urban exploiters should be more likely to utilize bright, unpredictable light pollution sources such as sport stadiums and building sites than urban avoiders. I quantified insectivorous bat activity and feeding attempts at seven sport stadiums under light and dark treatments using acoustic monitoring of echolocation calls. Species richness estimators indicated that stadium inventories were complete. Activity and feeding attempts were significantly higher at lit stadiums than dark stadiums, irrespective of season or surrounding human land use. Bats exhibited species-specific differences in utilization of stadiums. As predicted, four urban exploiters – Chaerephon pumilus, Tadarida aegyptiaca, Otomops martiensseni and Scotophilus dinganii – dominated activity and feeding attempts at lit stadiums, yet one urban exploiter – Mops condylurus – was associated with dark stadiums. Activity levels at both dark and light stadiums were negatively correlated with peak echolocation frequency. Landscape-scale and finer scale abiotic variables were poor predictors of bat activity and feeding attempts. My results suggest that in addition to abiotic processes associated with urbanization, light pollution at sport stadiums may homogenize urban bat diversity by favoring selected urban exploiters.

Detection of Entebbe Bat Virus After 54 Years.

Entebbe bat virus (ENTV; Flaviviridae: Flavivirus), closely related to yellow fever virus, was first isolated from a little free-tailed bat (Chaerephon pumilus) in Uganda in 1957, but was not detected after that initial isolation. In 2011, we isolated ENTV from a little free-tailed bat captured from the attic of a house near where it had originally been found. Infectious virus was recovered from the spleen and lung, and the viral RNA was sequenced and compared with that of the original isolate. Across the polypeptide sequence, there were 76 amino acid substitutions, resulting in 97.8% identity at the amino acid level between the 1957 and 2011 isolates. Further study of this virus would provide valuable insights into the ecological and genetic factors governing the evolution and transmission of bat- and mosquito-borne flaviviruses.

Investigating the zoonotic origin of the West African Ebola epidemic.

The severe Ebola virus disease epidemic occurring in West Africa stems from a single zoonotic transmission event to a 2-year-old boy in Meliandou, Guinea. We investigated the zoonotic origins of the epidemic using wildlife surveys, interviews, and molecular analyses of bat and environmental samples. We found no evidence for a concurrent outbreak in larger wildlife. Exposure to fruit bats is common in the region, but the index case may have been infected by playing in a hollow tree housing a colony of insectivorous free-tailed bats (Mops condylurus). Bats in this family have previously been discussed as potential sources for Ebola virus outbreaks, and experimental data have shown that this species can survive experimental infection. These analyses expand the range of possible Ebola virus sources to include insectivorous bats and reiterate the importance of broader sampling efforts for understanding Ebola virus ecology.

Cross-genus amplification and characterisation of microsatellite loci in the little free tailed bat, Chaerephon pumilus s. l. (Molossidae) from South Eastern Africa

Microsatellite loci for Chaerephon pumilus sensu lato from south eastern Africa were cross-amplified using primers developed for the Mexican free-tailed bat, Tadarida brasiliensis . Two dinucleotide and four tetranucleotide loci were recovered and genotyped for 74 bats, yielding 9 to 15 alleles per locus. The observed and expected heterozygosities were 0.06 to 0.84 and 0.54 to 0.81 respectively, and the PIC values ranged from 0.51 to 0.80, indicative of considerable variability within the sample. There was no evidence of linkage disequilibrium among pairs of loci, or of deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. These six loci were informative in studies of population genetic structure of C. pumilus sensu lato. Keywords : Bats, Chaerephon pumilus, Chiroptera, microsatellites, Molossidae, cross-genus amplification African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(21), pp. 3143-3147

Stable Pleistocene-Era Populations ofChaerephon pumilus(Chiroptera: Molossidae) in Southeastern Africa do not use Different Echolocation Calls

Our extension of the phylogenetic study of Taylor et al. (2009) on a larger, more geographically representative sample confirmed their finding of genetically distinct sympatric lineages of bats currently referred to as Chaerephon pumilus sensu lato (s.l.) (family Molossidae) in southeastern Africa. Chaerephon pumilus s.l. comprised two cytochrome b lineages separated by a mean genetic distance of 0.7% (0.1–1.4%), consistent with intraspecific variability. The C. pumilus s.l. clade was paraphyletic, containing a nested C. leucogaster (Madagascar) clade. As well as the expected four mitochondrial control region lineages, we identified a new strongly-supported clade from the Durban area. Indices of diversity and neutrality, combined with a ragged multimodal mismatch distribution, are inconsistent with demographic expansion of a single C. pumilus s.l. population in southeastern Africa, and suggest that the control region lineages are stable units at demographic equilibrium. Dating analyses suggest that these ...

Stable Pleistocene-era populations of Chaerephon pumilus (Chiroptera: Molossidae) in southeastern Africa do not use different echolocation calls

Our extension of the phylogenetic study of Taylor et al. (2009) on a larger, more geographically representative sample confirmed their finding of genetically distinct sympatric lineages of bats currently referred to as Chaerephon pumilus sensu lato (s.l.) (family Molossidae) in southeastern Africa. Chaerephon pumilus s.l. comprised two cytochrome b lineages separated by a mean genetic distance of 0.7% (0.1–1.4%), consistent with intraspecific variability. The C. pumilus s.l. clade was paraphyletic, containing a nested C. leucogaster (Madagascar) clade. As well as the expected four mitochondrial control region lineages, we identified a new strongly-supported clade from the Durban area. Indices of diversity and neutrality, combined with a ragged multimodal mismatch distribution, are inconsistent with demographic expansion of a single C. pumilus s.l. population in southeastern Africa, and suggest that the control region lineages are stable units at demographic equilibrium. Dating analyses suggest that these lineages were established during the late Pleistocene, between 60 000 and 13 000 years ago. We found no evidence to support our hypothesis that the sympatric genetic lineages of C. pumilus s.l. are associated with distinct sonotypes, as discriminant function analysis based on four echolocation parameters could not discriminate between the four clades. We hypothesise that the different genetic lineages may be distinguished by differences in social communication and behaviour.

Molossid Bats in an African Agro-Ecosystem Select Sugarcane Fields as Foraging Habitat

Two coexisting species of African molossids, the little free-tailed bat, Chaerephon pumilus, and the Angolan free-tailed bat, Mops condylurus, were studied in the lowveld of Swaziland. Nine C. pumilus and five M. condylurus, all non-lactating females, were radio-tracked in order to investigate their habitat utilization. The results confirmed that both of these species selected to forage over sugarcane fields instead of over the other habitats available in the area: savanna, riparian forest and urban areas. Foraging ranges were relatively large with C. pumilus travelling on average a maximum of 4.2 km from the roost and M. condylurus covering 4.8 km. The mean activity areas ranged from 976 ha (minimum convex polygon) to 1319 ha (95% kernel) for C. pumilus and from 1190 ha (MCP) to 1437 ha (95% kernel) for M. condylurus. Interspecific differences in the mean activity area or maximum distance travelled were not found. The results of this study suggest that these species have a potential role as pest-controlling agents over sugarcane fields.