The Koepcke’s spear-nosed bat, Gardnerycteris koepckeae (Gardner and Patton, 1972) (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae), is not endemic to Peru: first record from the Amazon foothills of Colombia

Abstract

We report the first record of the rare Koepcke’s spear-nosed bat Gardnerycteris koepckeae collected outside of Peru, based on morphological and cytochrome b data. The species was found at the National Natural Park Alto Fragua Indi-Wasi, Department of Caquetá, Colombia. This record extended the species distribution 1400 km north from the northernmost known locality in Huanhuachayo, Ayacucho, Peru. This finding suggests that G. koepckeae is distributed over middle elevations along the eastern slope of the Andean-Amazonia foothills in Peru and Colombia, similar to other Phyllostomid bats, such as Vampyressa melissa and Lonchophylla handleyi. We reviewed the threatened category of G. koepckeae, currently categorized as Data Deficient (DD), according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), but considered as Endangered (EN) in recent papers. Based on this new record, we suggest that the species should be included in future assessments as Near Threatened (NT) or Vulnerable (VU) based on its wider distribution along the Andean-Amazonian foothills of Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, and probably the Orinoco slope of the Andes of Colombia and Venezuela.

First record of the rare bat Gardnerycteris koepckeae (Gardner & Patton, 1972) (Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae) in Bolivia

“…More recently, an unexpected record from an adjacent habitat in Colombia, Department of Caquetá (alt. 1080 m) extended the distribution 1400 km further north (Morales-Martínez et al 2020). The record in Bolivia expands the distribution of this species 558 km southsoutheast from the type locality (the closest point, Fig.…”

“…2B). As for the Colombian and Peruvian specimens, despite their similar skull, a cytochrome-b analysis yielded a 2.9% divergence between these specimens using the Kimura 2-parameter model (Morales-Martínez et al 2020). The authors use this value to confirm the identification because it is consistent with intraspecific variation for several phyllostomid species (Bradley and Baker 2001).…”

“…Currently, G. koepckeae is known from six specimens in total ( Fig. 1), five of which were collected from two localities in Peru in 1970 (three specimens), 1971, and 2011 (Gardner and Patton 1972;, and one specimen collected in 2012 in Colombia (Morales-Martínez et al 2020). The known localities for G. koepckeae range in elevation from 1080 m in Colombia to 1900 m in Estera Ruana, Ayacucho Department, Peru Morales-Martínez et al 2020).…”

“…1), five of which were collected from two localities in Peru in 1970 (three specimens), 1971, and 2011 (Gardner and Patton 1972;, and one specimen collected in 2012 in Colombia (Morales-Martínez et al 2020). The known localities for G. koepckeae range in elevation from 1080 m in Colombia to 1900 m in Estera Ruana, Ayacucho Department, Peru Morales-Martínez et al 2020). Consequently, the species' distribution range is restricted to lower montane forests on the eastern slopes of the Peruvian Central Andes and the Andean-Amazonian foothills in Colombia (Morales-Martínez et al 2020).…”

“…The known localities for G. koepckeae range in elevation from 1080 m in Colombia to 1900 m in Estera Ruana, Ayacucho Department, Peru Morales-Martínez et al 2020). Consequently, the species' distribution range is restricted to lower montane forests on the eastern slopes of the Peruvian Central Andes and the Andean-Amazonian foothills in Colombia (Morales-Martínez et al 2020). Peruvian legislation considers this species as Critically Endangered (Tello and Mena 2018); however, the IUCN Red List categorizes it as Data Deficient (Velazco and Aguirre 2019).…”