Western nectar bat

Western nectar bat
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Family: Phyllostomidae
Genus: Lonchophylla
Species:
L. hesperia
Binomial name
Lonchophylla hesperia

The western nectar bat (Lonchophylla hesperia) is a species of leaf-nosed bat within the Lonchophylla genus. It is found in Ecuador and Peru.

Etymology

The western nectar bat was first described by Glover Morrill Allen in 1908. The name hesperia comes from the Greek word hesperos, meaning western. This refers to the geographical distribution of the western nectar bat as it has only been found in the western part of South America.

Biology

Physical description

L. hesperia is one of the smaller members of the tribe Lonchophyllini, weighing about 10 g (0.35 oz). The fur on its back is pale brown, and its belly is a grayish brown that is lighter in color than its back. It has a skull length between 24.8–28 mm (0.98–1.10 in).

Range and habitat

The Western nectar bat is endemic to northwestern Peru and has been recorded in Peru and Ecuador. Their distribution has only been recorded as west of the Andes Mountains. The species has been categorized as restricted to areas lacking rainforest — arid desert to savanna and dry forest. As of 2011, the western nectar bat is only known from 19 individuals from 9 locations, 6 of which were captured in 1908.

Phylogeny

The following phylogenetic tree shows the currently known species of Lonchophyllini, the tribe that includes L. hesperia within the subfamily Lynchophyllinae.

Lonchophyllini

References

  1. ↑ Solari, S.; Velazco, P. (2015). "Lonchophylla hesperia". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2015 e.T12266A22038705. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T12266A22038705.en. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  2. ↑ Allen, G. M. (1908). "Notes on Chiroptera". Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College. 52: 25–62. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Tirira, Diego G.; Burneo, Santiago F.; Boada, Carlos E.; Lobos, Simón E. (2011-12-13). "Mammalia, Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae, Lonchophylla hesperia G. M. Allen, 1908: second record of the Western Nectar Bat in Ecuador after 70 years". Check List. 7 (3): 315–318. doi:10.15560/7.3.315. ISSN 1809-127X.
  4. ↑ Wilson, D.E.; Cole, F.R. (2000). Common Names of Mammals of the World. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution. p. 204.
  5. 1 2 3 Woodman, Neal; Timm, Robert M. (2006-12-22). Graves, Gary R. (ed.). "Characters and phylogenetic relationships of nectar-feeding bats, with descriptions of new Lonchophylla from western South America (Mammalia: Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae: Lonchophyllini)". Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 119 (4): 437–476. doi:10.2988/0006-324X(2006)119[437:CAPRON]2.0.CO;2. hdl:1808/4474. ISSN 0006-324X.
  6. ↑ Gardner, Alfred L (1976-04-15). "The Distributional Status Of Some Peruvian Mammals". Occasional Papers of the Museum of Natural Science, Louisiana State University. 1 (1). doi:10.31390/opmns.048. ISSN 2474-8935.
  7. ↑ Gardner, Alfred L.; Griffiths, Thomas A. (2008). "Subfamily Lonchophyllinae Griffiths, 1982". Mammals of South America. Volume 1: Marsupials, Xenarthrans, Shrews, and Bats. The University of Chicago Press. p. 251. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |year= / |publication-date= mismatch (help)
  8. 1 2 Tuttle, Merlin D. (29 October 1970). "Distribution and Zoogeography of Peruvian Bats, with Comments on Natural History". The University of Kansas Science Bulletin. XLIX (2): 45–86. doi:10.5962/bhl.part.9197 – via BioStor.