Mops (Xiphonycteris) brachypterus (Peters, 1852)

Fig. 29 E–F

Dysopes brachypterus Peters, 1852: 59 .

* Tadarida (Mops) leonis (Thomas, 1908): 373.

Following El-Rayah (1980, 1981), Simmons (2005: 442) and Happold (2013q: 501), we consider leonis to be a synonym of brachypterus .

Hayman et al. (1966: 66, map 102) report T. (M.) leonis from six localities, of which we were unable to trace the underlying BMNH specimens for the three southernmost records (Sud-Kivu Province). The three other localities are in the northeastern part of the DRC (Nord-Kivu, Haut-Uélé and Tshopo Provinces). The species was further reported from the northwestern part of the country (Yalosemba, Mongala Province and Tandala, Sud-Ubangi Province), but also from the southwestern part (Thysville [= Mbanza-Ngungu], Kongo Central Province and Léopoldville [= Kinshasa]). These last four localities were not plotted on the distribution map presented by Happold (2013q: 502). On her map, she painted four areas where this species occurs: northeastern DRC (with two individual localities in Uganda), the east African coast (from Malindi in Kenya to Mozambique Island), coastal West Africa (from Sierra Leone to western Togo, and from western Nigeria to Equatorial Guinea) expanding to the western part of the Central African Republic. The SDM map shows an almost similar image, although the western DCR records connect Happold’s northeastern DRC area with the West African one.