A review of the genera Myotis, Ia, Pipistrellus, Hypsugo, and Arielulus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from Myanmar (Burma), including three species new to the country
Author
Bates, Paul J. J.
Harrison Institute Centre for Systematics and Biodiversity Research Bowerwood House St Botolph’s Road Sevenoaks Kent TN 13 3 AQ Great Britain; E-mail: hzm @ btinternet. com
hzm@btinternet.com
Author
Nwe, Tin
Department of Zoology University of Yangon Yangon Myanmar
Author
Bu, Si Si Hla
Department of Zoology University of Yangon Yangon Myanmar
Author
Mie, Khin Mie
Department of Zoology University of Yangon Yangon Myanmar
Author
Swe, Khin Maung
Department of Zoology University of Yangon Yangon Myanmar
Author
Nyo, Nyo
Zoology Department University of Veterinary Science Yezin Myanmar
Author
Khaing, Aye Aye
Department of Zoology University of Yangon Yangon Myanmar
Author
Aye, Nu Nu
Department of Zoology University of Yangon Yangon Myanmar
Author
Toke, Yin Yin
Department of Zoology Dawei University Tanintharyi Division Myanmar
Author
Aung, Naing Naing
Department of Zoology Hinthida University Ayeyarwady Division Myanmar
Author
Thi, Mar Mar
Zoology Department, University of Distance Education, Yangon, Myanmar
Author
Mackie, Iain
Harrison Institute, Centre for Systematics and Biodiversity Research, Bowerwood House, St Botolph’s Road, Sevenoaks, Kent TN 13 3 AQ, Great Britain
text
Acta Chiropterologica
2005
2005-09-01
7
2
205
236
journal article
10.3161/1733-5329(2005)7[205:AROTGM]2.0.CO;2
1733-5329
3942897
Pipistrellus paterculus
Mount Popa Pipistrelle
Pipistrellus paterculus
Thomas, 1915b: 32
; Mount Popa, Upper
Burma
(
Myanmar
)
New material from
Myanmar
Mandalay
Division: Hintha Cave, 3.12.
2003, 1 ♂
(
MDI
.12);
Kayin State
: Yathay Pyan Cave,
9.3.2001
, 1 ♂ (K13).
Previous records from
Myanmar
Kachin State
: Nam Tisang Valley, Sum- ka Uma, Sumprabum, Ningma (
Hill, 1962
), Indawagyi Lake (
Das and Sinha, 1995
);
Sagaing
Division: Tatkon, Homalin, Hkam- ti, Tamanthe (
Wroughton, 1916
a
); Kyouk Myoung (
Wroughton, 1916
a
=
mimus
in
Wroughton, 1915
a
);
Mandalay
Division: Mount Popa (
type
locality of
paterculus
); Pyin Oo Lwin (= Maymyo in BMNH collection);
Shan State
: Pyaunggaung (
Wroughton, 1916
a
=
coromandra
in
Ryley, 1914
).
Descriptive characters
This is a medium-small pipistrelle with a forearm length of 29.0–
29.6 mm
, based on three specimens from
Myanmar
(Table 4; FA= 29.2–34.0 mm in Bates and Har- rison, 1997, and
30.4–33.1 mm
in Hen- drichsen
et al.
, 2001), and with an unusual- ly long penis (>
10 mm
). The pelage is a uniform dark chocolate brown on the dor- sal surface. On the ventral surface, the hairs have dark roots but paler, ginger brown tips. The baculum is almost straight, with only a slight indication of incipient curvature and exceeds
9 mm
in length (
Fig. 2A
). Its bifid tip is well developed and forms nearly a complete ring at an angle of 45° to the shaft. The zygomata are thin and without processes. The second upper incisor (I3) is about equal in crown area, and attains the height of the secondary cusp of the first in- cisor (I2). The upper canine (C1) is usually without a secondary cusp. The first upper premolar (P2) is about equal in crown area to I2 and is intruded from the toothrow. The crown area of the second lower premolar (P4) slightly exceeds that of first premolar (P2), which is about three-quarters its height.
Similar species
Baculum apart,
P. paterculus
is dif- ficult to distinguish with certainty from
P. coromandra
. However, the penis and ba- culum are longer than in all other local pip- istrelle species except
P. abramus
, which in contrast has a thin and sinuous baculum with a characteristic double curve when viewed laterally.
Ecology
Both the recent specimens were collect- ed in limestone caves. Yathay-Pyan Cave, which is situated at
50 m
above sea level has several large chambers and a complex roof system. It is surrounded by paddy fields and secondary forest. Hintha Cave is at an altitude of
520 m
.
It is near a stream and a waterfall. The
type
locality of
P. pa- terculus
is Mount Popa, which is a
1500 m
high extinct volcano. The summit is grassy. At the time of capture, the upper slopes were covered in temperate evergreen forest and cultivated gardens and the lower slopes with dry decidous forest mixed with bam- boo. The surrounding area is dry, open country (
Wroughton, 1915
a
). At Kyouk Myoung, it was found in thick scrub (
Wroughton, 1915
a
). It is also known from the
Shan
Plateau having been collected from Pyaunggaung at an altitude of
860 m
(
Wroughton, 1916
a
).
Pipistrellus ceylonicus
Kelaart’s Pipistrelle
Pipistrellus ceylonicus
Kelaart, 1852: 22
; Trinco- malee,
Ceylon
Pipistrellus shanorum
Thomas, 1915
b
: 29
;
Pyaung- gaung, N.
Shan
States,
2,800 feet
,
Burma
Previous records from
Myanmar
Shan State
: Pyaunggaung (
type
locality of
P. shanorum
). There is no new material.
Descriptive characters
FIG. 2. Bacula of four species of
Pipistrellus
. Lateral (above) and dorsal (below) views of: A —
P.
paterculus
.
MDI 12,
Myanmar
; B —
P. javanicus
.
B50,
Myanmar
; C —
P. abramus
. HZM.3.32167,
Vietnam
; D —
P. ceylonicus
. HZM.3.31458,
Sri Lanka
, which is included to facilitate size comparisons with
Fig. 1
. Scale =
2 mm
A large pipistrelle with a forearm length of
35.9 mm
based on a single specimen from
Myanmar
(
Table 4
; FA = 33.0–42.0 mm in
Bates and Harrison, 1997
). The hairs on the dorsal surface are silky, medium in
length; the tips are a rich dark brown and the bases darker. The ventral surface is a paler mid-brown, more buff coloured near the vent and with dark hair bases. The fifth metacarpal is about equal in length to the third and fourth. Based on extralimital ma- terial, the baculum has a bilobate base, a thin shaft and a bifid tip (
Figs. 1A
and
2D
); it measures
3.8–4.1 mm
in length (
n
= 2, based on a specimen from
India
illustrated in
Hill and Harrison, 1987
and
Sri Lanka
[HZM collection]).
The
skull is large with a robust rostrum.
The
zygomata are thin and without processes.
In
P. ceylonicus
, the up- per canine (C1) usually has a secondary cusp, although this was not present in the
holotype
of
shanorum
.
The
first upper pre- molar (P2) is about equal in area to the first upper incisor (I2); it is intruded from the toothrow but C1 is not in contact with the second upper premolar (P4).
The
crown area of the first lower premolar (P2) is about 80% that of the second (P4).
Similar species
In
P. ceylonicus
, the crown area of first upper premolar (P2) is about equal in area to the first upper incisor (I2). This distin- guishes it from
P. cadornae
,
P. joffrei
,
P. anthonyi
, and
A. circumdatus
, which have a comparable forearm length but in which P2 is greatly reduced. Bacular morphology and the thin zygomata differentiate it from
P. af- finis
and
P. lophurus
. Taxonomic notes
Thomas (1915
b
)
in his original descrip- tion of
shanorum
suggested that it was ‘closely allied to
ceylonicus
but smaller’.
Corbet and Hill (1992)
included
shanorum
in
P. ceylonicus
. The pelage is much darker than that of
P. c.
ceylonicus
.
Ecology
An adult female was collected on 4
May 1912
at an altitude of
860 m
(2800 feet) at Pyaunggaung on the western part of the
Shan
Plateau. The area is situated on an undulating limestone plateau and accord- ing to
Ryley (1914)
was given over to the cultivation of ‘wet rice’ in the valley areas with ‘dry rice’ grown on the surrounding hills.