Macroglossus minimus (E. Geoffroy, 1810)

Voon-Ching Lim, Rosli Ramli, Subha Bhassu & John-James Wilson, 2017, A checklist of the bats of Peninsular Malaysia and progress towards a DNA barcode reference library, PLoS ONE 12 (7), pp. 1-65 : 10

Macroglossus minimus [Geoffroy, 1810]

Pteropus minimus Geoffroy, 1810: 97 ; Java, INDONESIA (Leschnault de la Tour, collector; Type unknown) [ 80].

Macroglossus minimus [ 73].

Common English name: Lesser Long-tongued Nectar Bat

Barcode Index Number: DNA barcodes recorded as M. minimus are associated with BIN, BOLD: AAA 9952, but there are no DNA barcodes from Peninsular Malaysia.

IUCN status: Least Concern

Remarks: M. minimus resembles M. sobrinus closely in morphology but has a shorter rostrum (26 – 28mm) and muzzle [ 74], and a deep median groove on the upper lip which is absence in M. sobrinus [ 14, 74]. Our examination of DWNP specimens from Peninsular Malaysia labelled as M. minimus and M. sobrinus revealed specimens that fit the description of M. Minimus and specimens that fit the description of M. sobrinus supporting the presence of both taxa in Peninsular Malaysia. However, the taxa showed very shallow divergence in COI mtDNA in our NJ analysis with DNA barcodes from both type localities (i.e. Java and Peninsular Malaysia) being grouped together ( Fig 2 ; also see Fig 6 in [ 4]). It remains unclear whether M. minimus and M. sobrinus are actually the same species or whether they represent two taxa that diverged recently. Further analysis of nuclear DNA would be required to determine this and we tentatively retain the taxa as distinct species in our checklist.

Recorded at: Pahang: Pulau Tioman [ 23], Krau Wildlife Reserve [ 41]; Selangor: Kuala Selangor [ 40], Bangi Forest Reserve [ 41], Ulu Gombak [ 52]; Perak: Temengor Forest Reserve [ 47]; Bayor River-Rantau Panjang [ 49]; Kelantan: Air Panas-Gua Musang [ 61], Gunung Chamah, Gunung Reng, Gua Musang and Lojing Highlands [ 62], Gunung Stong State Park [ 67].

M. minimus has been recorded in mangroves, coastal areas and disturbed areas [ 14, 23].

Figures

Fig 2. Neighbour-joining tree showing all available DNA barcodes for species in family Pteropodidae reported from Peninsular Malaysia. The percentage of pseudoreplicate trees (±70%) in which the DNA barcodes clustered together in the bootstrap test (500 pseudoreplicates) are shown above the branches. Abbreviation as follows: PM = Peninsular Malaysia, VN = Vietnam, JV = Java, Indonesia, BN = Borneo (including Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei and Kalimantan), TH = Thailand, LA = Laos. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0179555.g002

Fig 6. Neighbour-joining tree showing all available DNA barcodes for species in family Vespertilionidae reported from Peninsular Malaysia. The percentage of pseudoreplicate trees (±70%) in which the DNA barcodes clustered together in the bootstrap test (500 pseudoreplicates) are shown above the branches. Abbreviation as follows: PM = Peninsular Malaysia,VN = Vietnam, BN = Borneo (including Sabah & Sarawak of East Malaysia, Brunei and Kalimantan Indonesia), TH = Thailand, LA = Laos, SM = Sumatera Indonesia, JV = Java Indonesia, CH = China, CM = Cambodia. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0179555.g006