Eumops auripendulus (Shaw)

VOUCHER MATERIAL: 2 females (AMNH *267537, *268594) and 1 male (MNHN *1995.950); see table 59 for measurements.

IDENTIFICATION: Eger (1977) provided species diagnoses and a key in her revision of the genus Eumops, which has not been superceded by any comparably comprehensive study. Husson (1962, 1978) gave a detailed description and comparative measurements of E. auripendulus from Surinam, and additional information can be found in Sanborn (1932) under the account for E. abrasus (now considered a junior synonym of auripendulus; see Goodwin, 1960; Husson, 1962, 1978; Eger, 1974, 1977). Two subspecies of E. auripendulus are currently recognized with the following continental distributions (Eger, 1974, 1977; Koopman, 1994): E. a. auripendulus (southern Mexico to Amazonia, including the Guianas) and E. a. major (northern Argentina, southern Paraguay, and eastern Brazil). These taxa are distinguished on the basis of size, with major being the larger of the two.

Our voucher material conforms in all respects to Eger’s (1977) description of Eumops auripendulus auripendulus . The Paracou specimens are also comparable in size to those reported from Surinam by Husson (1962, 1978), although one of our females has a shorter maxillary toothrow and narrow­ er skull than either of the females whose measurements he published (op. cit.: table 32).

FIELD OBSERVATIONS: Our three specimens of Eumops auripendulus from Paracou were captured in mistnets suspended 17­­23 m above a narrow dirt road through the forest.