Recent surveys of bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) from China. I. Rhinolophidae and Hipposideridae
Author
Zhang, Libiao
Guangdong Entomological Institute, 105 Xingang Xilu, Haizhu, Guangzhou, 510260 China
Author
Jones, Gareth
School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Woodland Road, Bristol, BS 8 1 UG, United Kingdom
Author
Zhang, Jinshuo
Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 - 5 Beichen Xilu, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101 China
Author
Zhu, Guangjian
Guangdong Entomological Institute, 105 Xingang Xilu, Haizhu, Guangzhou, 510260 China
Author
Parsons, Stuart
School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag, Auckland, 92019 New Zealand
text
Acta Chiropterologica
2009
2009-06-01
11
1
71
88
journal article
21487
10.3161/150811009X465703
bb6f5628-d3ac-4a12-b3b1-24ab27e112f5
1733-5329
3944511
Rhinolophus pusillus
Temminck, 1834
Least horseshoe bat
This is a common bat species in
China
. FA —
34.3–41.6 mm
, mass —
3.3–7.8 g
, FMAXE — 100.3–111.2 kHz. Capture sites included
Beijing
,
Fujian
,
Guangdong
,
Guangxi
,
Guizhou
,
Hainan
,
Hubei
,
Jiangxi
,
Shandong
,
Sichuan
and
Yunnan
. Among these sites, bats from
Beijing
were larger than others (FA
40.2–41.6 mm
) and had a lower call frequency, ranging 105.2–109.7 kHz. For example, some
R. pusillus
from
Guangxi
called at a higher frequency (111.2 kHz) and are smaller (FA
35.2–37.9 mm
).
Robinson (1996)
reported that
R. pusillus
in
Malaysia
calls at 92.5 kHz (FA
38.3 mm
), and so it appears likely that cryptic species divisions are likely in this taxon across its range.
Li
et al
. (2006)
suggested that bat taxa
R. pusillus
(sampled across
China
),
R. monoceros
(
Taiwan)
,
R. cornutus
(main islands of
Japan
) and
R. c. pumilus
(
Okinawa
,
Japan
) are better considered as geographical subspecies rather than distinct species.
Simmons (2005)
considers that
R. cornutus
is confined to
Japan
and, therefore, bats from
China
that were previously assigned to this taxon are now considered to belong to
R. pusillus
.
Previous records from
China
:
Fujian
,
Guangdong
,
Guangxi
,
Guizhou
,
Hainan
,
Hebei
,
Hunan
,
Jiangsu
,
Jiangxi
,
Shaanxi
,
Sichuan
,
Tibet
,
Yunnan
and
Zhejiang
(
Zhang, 1997
;
Wang, 2003
).
Ecological Notes
This is the most widespread and frequently encountered rhinolophid in
China
. It is rarely found in large numbers, and all records were from caves or once from a rock crevice. Five droppings collected in
July 2002
from
Beijing
were analysed and found to contain (average percentage volume) 45% dipterans, 42% lepidopterans and 14% coleopterans. The diet is therefore similar to that of
R. hipposideros
in Europe (
Vaughan, 1997
), which it resembles closely in morphology seemingly as a consequence of convergent evolution (
Li
et al
., 2006
). Pregnant females were captured on 17 May, lactating females on
12 June 2005
, in
Guangxi
.