Lophostoma silvicola, d'Orbigny, 1836

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Phyllostomidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 444-583 : 505

35.

White-throated Round-eared Bat

Lophostoma silvicola

French: Grand Lophostome / German: Weil 3kehl-Rundohrblattnase / Spanish: Lofostoma de garganta blanca

Other common names: D'Orbigny’s Round-eared Bat

Taxonomy. Lophostoma silvicola d’Orbigny, 1836 ,

“des grandes foréts qui bordent le pied oriental de la Cordillere bolivienne, au pays des sauvages Juracares [= large forests bordering the east of the Bolivian mountain range, in the country of the Yuracare Indians].” Restricted by S. Anderson and colleagues in 1982 to Yungas, between Rio Secire and Rio Isibara, 1845 m, 15°45’S, 65°15’W, Beni, Bolivia.

Widely used name silvicolum has been changed as the substantival suffix cola is invariable, also subspecific names centralis and laephotis have been changed for gender agreement. Lophostoma silvicola was formerly in the genus Tonatia , but T. E. Lee and collaborators in 2002 showed that Tonatia was paraphyletic and recommended to restrict it to 1. bidens and 1. saurophila , while reclassifying remaining taxa to Lophostoma . Recently, the former subspecies occidentale from south-western Ecuador and north-western Peru was distinguished as a valid species. Three subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

L.s.silvicolad’Orbigny,1836—Panama,Colombia,Venezuela,WBrazil,Paraguay,andEcuador,Peru,andBoliviaEoftheAndes.

L. s. centrale W. B. Davis & D. C. Carter, 1978 — Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. L. s. laephote Thomas, 1910 — the Guianas and lower Amazon Basin in Brazil.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 66-89 mm, tail 10-22 mm, ear 30-39 mm, hindfoot 15-19 mm, forearm 50-59 mm; weight 25-39 g. The White-throated Round-eared Bat is considered rather large, with huge round ears. Upperparts are gray or gray-brown, tips of hairs are frosted, and belly is pale gray-brown. Diagnostically, hairs on throat and bases of ears are very pale gray or white. Ears and face are almost naked, noseleaf is small, and horseshoe is entirely fused to upper lip. Chin has tiny round warts. Tail is short, one-half the length of long tail membrane. Forearms are naked. Only last phalanx of thumbis free; the rest are included in propatagium.

Habitat. Variety of habitats including tall forests in Pacific and Caribbean lowlands and agricultural clearings at elevations up to ¢. 600 m. White-throated Round-eared Bats are commonly found inside forests and absent over creeks.

Food and Feeding. Diet of the White-throated Round-eared Bat includes insects, particularly katydids ( Tettigoniidae ) and whip scorpions, and fruit. Some researchers classified it as a foliage-gleaning insectivore. Legume pollen and Apocynaceae remains have been found in stomach samples.

Breeding. Reproductive pattern of the White-throated Round-eared Bat is bimodal, with two birth peaks: one near January and the other near July. Females have postpartum estrus. Cavity nest is excavated by single males and subsequently serve as maternity roosts for females, improving reproductive success of males that excavated cavities. Breeding is a one male-multi-female system.

Activity patterns. White-throated Round-eared Bats are nocturnal, but some studies suggest they are more active in the first two hoursafter sunset. They roost in termite nests that have been hollowed out from below. Only males have been observed building roosts inside termite nests, and use of such nests provides several benefits including reduction of competition for roostsites with sympatric species, reduced parasite load, and suitable microclimate.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. There can be 1-19 individuals inside a nest roost. Despite its highly specialized roost, the White-throated Round-eared Bat might not be roost-limited and can use other types of roosts.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Whitethroated Round-eared Bat is considered locally common at some locations, perhaps indicating a particular combination of habitat characteristics that favorits presence.

Bibliography. Anderson et al. (1982), Baker et al. (2004), Barquez, Diaz, Pineda & Rodriguez-Herrera (2016), Bonaccorso (1979), Davis & Carter (1978), Dechmann & Kerth (2008), Fenton & Kunz (1977), Hall (1981), Howell & Burch (1974), Kalko, Friemel et al. (1999), Kalko, Ueberschaer & Dechmann (2006), Lee et al. (2002), Medellin & Arita (1989), d'Orbigny (1836), Reid (2009), Simmons (2005), Thomas (1910a), Velazco & Cadenillas (2011), Williams & Genoways (2008), Willig (1983).

Figures

24. Long-legged Bat (Macrophyllum macrophyllum), 25. Fringe-lipped Bat (Trachops cirrhosus), 26. Striped Hairy-nosed Bat (Gardnerycteris crenulatum), 27. Keenan's Hairy-nosed Bat (Gardnerycteris keenani), 28. Koepcke’s Hairy-nosed Bat (Gardnerycteris koepckeae), 29. Kalko’s Round-eared Bat (Lophostoma kalkoae), 30. Pygmy Round-eared Bat (Lophostoma brasiliense), 31. Carriker’s Round-eared Bat (Lophostoma carrikeri), 32. Schulz’s Round-eared Bat (Lophostoma schulzi), 33. Western Round-eared Bat (Lophostoma occidentale), 34. Davis's Round-eared Bat (Lophostoma evotis), 35. White-throated Round-eared Bat (Lophostoma silvicola), 36. Greater Round-eared Bat (Tonatia bidens), 37. Stripe-headed Round-eared Bat (Tonatia saurophila), 38. Pale-faced Bat (Phylloderma stenops), 39. Pale Spear-nosed Bat (Phyllostomus discolor), 40. Lesser Spear-nosed Bat (Phyllostomus elongatus), 41. Greater Spear-nosed Bat (Phyllostomus hastatus), 42. Guianan Spear-nosed Bat (Phyllostomus latifolius), 43. Woolly False Vampire Bat (Chrotopterus auritus), 44. Southern Golden Bat (Mimon bennettii), 45. Cozumelan Golden Bat (Mimon cozumelae), 46. Spectral Bat (Vampyrum spectrum)

Subspecies and Distribution. L.s.silvicolad’Orbigny,1836—Panama,Colombia,Venezuela,WBrazil,Paraguay,andEcuador,Peru,andBoliviaEoftheAndes. L. s. centrale W. B. Davis & D. C. Carter, 1978 — Honduras , Nicaragua , and Costa Rica . L. s. laephote Thomas, 1910 — the Guianas and lower Amazon Basin in Brazil .