New Genus and Species of Nectar-Feeding Bat from the Atlantic Forest of Southeastern Brazil (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae: Glossophaginae)

Abstract

The lowland Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil is well known for its biological diversity and numerous endemic taxa. Among bats collected recently at the Reserva Natural Vale and previously in the Floresta Nacional de Goytacazes, in the state of Espírito Santo, are specimens easily recognized as nectar-feeding glossophagines, but that exhibit a suite of morphological traits that preclude assignment to any of the 10 genera currently recognized in the subfamily Glossophaginae. Here we describe a new genus and species based on this material. This new taxon, named Dryadonycteris capixaba, is diagnosed based on both external and craniodental features, including traits not seen in other nectar-feeding phyllostomids, such as similar-sized calcar and foot and inflated maxillary bones. The combination of character states seen in Dryadonycteris suggests that it belongs in the Tribe Choeronycterini, subtribe Choeronycterina, but the mosaic nature of primitive and derived states seen in this taxon precludes easy assessment of its relationships to other choeronycterine genera. Future explicit phylogenetic analyses of morphological data and DNA sequencing studies will be necessary to resolve its phylogenetic position within Choeronycterini.

Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) from Guarulhos, state of São Paulo, Brazil

“…According to Zortéa (2003), the three species of glossophagine bats captured in Guarulhos (Table 1) are the most common species of this subfamily and, in general, few species of this group have been found in sympatry (Passos et al 2003;Nogueira et al 2007). The largest number of A. caudifer (N= 47) in our study is a result of their netting while emerging from the shelter.…”

Checklist of Brazilian bats, with comments on original records

“…material collected in well-sampled localities (e.g., Nogueira et al 2012). Indeed the increment in the number of trained taxonomists in Brazil, has resulted in multiple taxonomic revisions, description of new species, and addition of new records due to the more accurate identifications.…”

“…This change is of particular importance if we consider that, in relation to Amazonia, these biomes had a much larger proportion of their original areas converted into anthropic landscapes (MMA 2007) and present a much smaller proportion of protected forests (Gurgel et al 2009). The Atlantic Forest and the Caatinga are now also known to harbor genus-level bat endemisms (Gregorin and Ditchfield 2005;Nogueira et al 2012), highlighting the importance of their long-term conservation.…”

Expansion of the southern limit of Vampyrodes caraccioli Thomas, 1889 (Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae) and first record for Santa Catarina state, southern Brazil

“…The knowledge about the bat fauna has increased in the last two decades in Brazil, with specialized publications about the group (Reis et al 2007, Peracchi et al 2012, Nogueira et al 2014, description of new species (e.g. Gregorin and Ditchfield 2005, Miranda et al 2006, Nogueira et al 2012, Dias et al 2013, Feijó et al 2015, Moratelli and Dias 2015, and reports of new records for several regions (e.g.…”

“…Gregorin and Ditchfield 2005, Miranda et al 2006, Nogueira et al 2012, Dias et al 2013, Feijó et al 2015, Moratelli and Dias 2015, and reports of new records for several regions (e.g. Zortéa et al 2013, Dias et al 2016, Basílio et al 2017, including the southern region of the country (e.g.…”