Vampyriscus nymphaea (Thomas, 1909)

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Phyllostomidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 444-583 : 556

151.

Striped Yellow-eared Bat

Vampyriscus nymphaea

French: Grande Vampyresse / German: Streifen-Gelbohrenfledermaus / Spanish: Vampiresa grande

Taxonomy. Vampyressa nymphaea Thomas, 1909 ,

“Novita, Rio S. Juan, Chocé, W. Colombia. Alt. 150° [= 46 m].”

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. Central America from Honduras to Panama and along coasts of W Colombia and NW Ecuador. In the literature, there have been two isolated records in the Amazonian Basin, including one in SE Peru, and one in Brazil that probably are misidentifications.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 47-70 mm (tailless), ear 14-18 mm, hindfoot 9-12 mm, forearm 34-3-38-3 mm; weight 10-13 g. Greatest lengths of skulls are 20-3-22-3 mm. Dorsal fur of the Striped Yellow-eared Bat is pale brownish to smoky gray, and each hair has large pale middle band. There is a faint white midline dorsal stripe running from below the neck that can be almost imperceptible in some individuals. Ventral fur is faintly pale brown to grayish whitish. Hair is concentrated in middle part of ventral uropatagium. Ear pinna is edged with yellow, and stripe is interrupted in dorso-lateral part of ear pinna. Basal lobe in tragus is developed and yellow. Horseshoe and lancet of noseleaf are bicolored and edged with yellow. Two pairs of bright white stripes disrupt rostrum, one supraorbital, generally broader than the other, which is located ventromedially on rostrum. Third and fifth metacarpals are subequalin size, and both are longer than fourth metacarpal. Postorbital constriction of skull is narrow, and forehead protrudes, breaking lateral profile of rostrum. Nasal bones are shortened and bowed anteroposteriorly, occupying less than one-half of rostrum and have “Vincised” anterior border. Posterior border of hard palate has median projection that approaches a W-shape, and basisphenoid pits are narrow and deep. Dental formula is12/2,C1/1,P 2/2, M 2/2 (x2) = 28. I' are cylindrical, unequal in breadth along most of their longitudinal axis, and directed medially. I* are much smaller than I'. P° is conic-shaped, tapering to acute tip and with oblique base. P° and P* are separated by diastema. P” is shorter than P*, which is blade-like in shape. M' has developed labial cingulum, with well-developed cusp-like projection on its posterior part. Metaconid is lacking on M,. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 26 and FN = 48, which is the same as its congener, the Bidentate Yellow-eared Bat (V. bidens ). X-chromosome is mediumsized and subtelocentric, and Y-chromosome is small and acrocentric.

Habitat. Mature evergreen tropical rainforests in South and Central America and considered uncommon in lowlands of eastern Panama and on western Panama coast. One specimen was captured in a banana grove in Caribbean lowlands of Nicaragua, and another one was caught in a net set in a pasture at c. 2 km away from a large continuous protected forest in Honduras.

Food and Feeding. The Striped Yellow-eared Bateats fruit. Seeds and fruit remnants of Ficus cahuitensis ( Moraceae ), Piper auritum, and P. sanctr-felicis (both Piperaceae ) have been found under feeding poles and diurnal tent roosts at La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica. In a study at La Selva, more than 95% of seeds of Cecropia obtusifolia regurgitated by the Striped Yellow-eared Bat germinated. Seeds were also found in feces of a female captured in Honduras.

Breeding. The Striped Yellow-eared Bat is considered polyestrous, with peaks of newborns in February and August. A pregnant female was captured in February in Nicaragua, and another one was captured in July in the Patuca National Park, Honduras. In western Colombia, pregnant females were found in January-March, August, and December.

Activity patterns. No information.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Forty-one Striped Yellow-eared Bats were found roosting in eleven tents made of leaves of Pentagonia donnelksmithii ( Rubiaceae ), distributed in groups of 2-7 individuals, at La Selva Biological Station. Organization of some of these groups was described as a harem mating system. In a later study, two individuals occupied a tent made of Anthurium sp. ( Araceae ) for more than a week in a primary forest. In another study, a leaf tent made of Cecropia insignis ( Urticaceae ) was used as a day roost by seven individuals, again organized to suggest a harem.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The [UCNRed List. The Striped Yellow-eared Bat is considered uncommon in Panama and at La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica. It appears to be generally rare locally, and its entire distribution is under pressure from logging, slash-and-burn agriculture, and livestock.

Bibliography. Arroyo-Cabrales (2008c), Brooke (1987), Gardner (1977a), Jones, Smith & Turner (1971), Handley (1966b), Lopez & Vaughan (2004), Mora et al. (2014), Rodriguez-Herrera & Tschapka (2005), Rodriguez-Posada & Ramirez-Chaves (2012), Tavares (2008), Wilson (1979).

Figures

143. Guadeloupean Big-eyed Bat (Charoderma tmprovisum), 144. Little Big-eyed Bat (Charoderma trinitatum), 145. Salvin’s Big-eyed Bat (Chiroderma salvini), 146. Hairy Big-eyed Bat (Chiroderma villosum), 147. Brazilian Big-eyed Bat (Chiroderma doriae), 148. Vizotto’s Big-eyed Bat (Chiroderma vizottoi), 149. Bidentate Yellow-eared Bat (Vampyriscus bidens), 150. Brock’s Yellow-eared Bat (Vampyriscus brocki), 151. Striped Yellow-eared Bat (Vampyriscus nymphaea), 152. Baker’s Tent-making Bat (Uroderma bakeri), 153. Common Tent-making Bat (Uroderma bilobatum), 154. Pacific Tent-making Bat (Uroderma convexum), 155. Davis’s Tent-making Bat (Uroderma dauvisi), 156. Brown Tent-making Bat (Uroderma magnirostrum), 157. Kalko’s Yellow-eared Bat (Vampyressa elisabethae), 158. Melissa’s Yellow-eared Bat (Vampyressa melissa), 159. Quechuan Yellow-eared Bat (Vampyressa sinchi), 160. Northern Little Yellow-eared Bat (Vampyressa thyone), 161. Southern Little Yellow-eared Bat (Vampyressa pusilla), 162. MacConnell’s Bat (Mesophylla macconnelli), 163. Caracciolo’s Stripe-faced Bat (Vampyrodes caraccioli), 164. Great Stripe-faced Bat (Vampyrodes major)

Distribution. Central America from Honduras to Panama and along coasts of W Colombia and NW Ecuador . In the literature, there have been two isolated records in the Amazonian Basin, including one in SE Peru , and one in Brazil that probably are misidentifications.