Kerivoula hardwickii, Hordfield, 1824

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 : 36

Kerivoula hardwickii [Hordfield, 1824]

Vespertilio hardwickii Horsfield, 1824 : part 8; Java, INDONESIA (Collector unknown; Type: BM(NH) 79.11.29.181) [ 102].

Kerivoula hardwickii [ 8].

Common English name: Hardwicke’s Woolly Bat

Barcode Index Number: BOLD: AAA 6722 (5 DNA barcodes from Peninsular Malaysia; Fig 6 )

Remarks: DNA barcodes recorded as K. hardwickii are associated with four BINs, BOLD: AAA6722, BOLD:AAA6725, BOLD:AAC5514 and BOLD:AAC5515. DNA barcodes from Peninsular Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Laos formed a mainland group, whereas DNA barcodes from Malaysian Borneo and Kalimantan, Indonesia formed a Bornean group ( Fig 6 ). Francis et al. [ 2] suggested that K. hardwickii is a species complex based on the analysis of COI mtDNA. However, Khan et al. [ 169] recognised only a single form across Malaysia (Peninsular and Borneo) and suggested that the Bornean form is a result of chromosomal polymorphism. Douangboubpha et al. [ 170] reported that specimens from Thailand referred as K. hardwickii can be divided into two morphotypes: “flat” skulls and “domed” skulls. Although the specimens with “flat” skulls did not show variation in size and morphology, they were closely clustered into two clades ( K. hardwickii Aand K. hardwickii B) 2.14% divergent in COI mtDNA; whereas specimens with “domed” skulls showed variation in size and morphology but were closely clustered together in a COI analysis ( K. hardwickii C). “Domed” skulls were 16.37% and 20.02% divergent to K. hardwickii Aand K. hardwickii Bin COI mtDNA respectively [ 170].

There are no subspecies recognised currently [ 98] contradicting older literature. Ellerman and Morrison-Scott [ 138] recognised four subspecies: hardwickii (type locality: Java), depressa (type locality: southern Burma = Myanmar), crypta (type locality: southern India), and malpasi (type locality: Sri Lanka) whereas Hill [ 171] recognised five, including engana (type locality: southwest of Sumatra). The names hardwickii and depressa were suggested for the specimens from Thailand with “domed” and “flat” skulls respectively, but further research is required to assign Linnaean names conclusively [ 170]. Whether the four BINs in our NJ tree ( Fig 6 ) represent the four subspecies remains to be determined. We tentatively retained the name K. hardwickii in this checklist pending further research.

IUCN status: Least Concern

Recorded at: Kelantan: Ulu Kelantan [ 23], Gunung Stong State Park [ 100], Air Panas-Gua Musang, [ 61], Gua Musang [ 62]; Perak: Temengor Forest Reserve [ 46, 47, 111], Royal Belum State Park [ 66], Kledang Saiong Forest Reserve [ 100, 101]; Perlis: Wang Kelian State Park [ 50];

Johor: Endau-Kluang Forest Reserve [ 56], Gunung Panti and Labis Forest Reserve [ 100];

Melaka: Sungai Udang Forest Reserve [ 68]; Pahang: Bukit Ibam, Klau Besar, and Gunung Aais [ 100]; Pulau Pinang: Bukit Panchor [ 100]; Negeri Sembilan: Gunung Angsi Forest Reserve [ 100, 101], Berembun Forest Reserve [ 101]; Selangor: Semangkok Forest Reserve and Ulu Gombak [ 101]; Terengganu: Gunung Tebu Forest Reserve [ 101].

K. hardwickii has been reported roosting in tree hollows, among clumps of dead leaves, and in dead and broken bamboo stems [ 14, 23].

Figures

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