Miniopterus macrocneme Revilliod 1914

12.

Small Melanesian Long-fingered Bat

Miniopterus macrocneme

French: Minioptére de Mélanésie / German: Kleine Melanesische Langfligelfledermaus / Spanish: Miniéptero de

Melanesia

Other common names: Small Melanesian Bent-winged Bat

Taxonomy. Miniopterus macrocneme Revilliod in Sarasin & Roux, 1914,

“ Nouvelle-Calédonie [= New Caledonia and] Iles Loyalty [= Loyalty Islands].”

Miniopterus macrocneme is in the australis species complex. It occasionally has been considered a subspecies of M. pusillus. Monotypic.

Distribution. New Guinea, Admiralty Is (Manus), Bismarck Archipelago (New Britain and New Ireland Is), Louisiade Archipelago (Trobriand, Woodlark, and Misima Is), Solomon Is (Choiseul, New Georgia, Mbanika, and San Cristobal), Vanuatu Is, and New Caledonia (including Loyalty Is).

Descriptive notes. Head—body 41-6-48 mm,tail 40-5-54 mm, ear 10-11-2 mm, forearm 39-6-45 mm; weight 7-5— 11 g. Dorsal and ventral pelage of the Small Melanesian Long-fingered Bat is uniform black. Dorsal surface of uropatagium is almost devoid of hairs. Ears are small, and tragus has parallel edges, with its distal one-half slightly curved forward and its convex outer edge smooth. In Melanesia, the Small Melanesian Long-fingered Bat occurs in sympatry with the Little Long-fingered Bat (M. australis) and the Loyalty Long-fingered Bat (M. robustior), which are similar in size. Diagnostic characteristics that better differentiate the Small Melanesian Long-fingered Bat from the other species are the great developmentoftail and tibia (18-20-3 mm) and smooth edge of tragus, which is serrated in the Little Long-fingered Bat.

Habitat. Wide variety of habitats from lowland tropical forests to subalpine grasslands from sea level to elevations of ¢. 3200 m. The Small Melanesian Long-fingered Bat roosts in dry caves in New Guinea, and the largest colonies, with thousands of individuals, are found at elevations of 1500-2500 m, being rarer below 1500 m.

Food and Feeding. There is no specific information available for this species, but other long-fingered bats feed mainly on soft insects captured in flight.

Breeding. The Small Melanesian Long-fingered Bat has the same annual reproductive cycle as the Little Long-fingered Bat, at least in New Caledonia, being seasonally monoestrous with one young per pregnancy. There seems to be no delay in implantation of the embryo. Pregnant females have been found in October-December. First lactating females appear in December, and lactating females are common in January.

Activity patterns. The Small Melanesian Long-fingered Bat is thought to be mainly nocturnal. It is strictly cave dwelling during the day, butit will use less protected shelters such as culverts as night roosts. Some individuals in Papua New Guinea occasionally take refuge in rock crevices at elevations of ¢. 2600 m where it can freeze. In these cases, individuals are isolated and enter daytime torporto save energy. Echolocation calls have downward FM signals, with peak frequencies of 42—45 kHz in New Caledonia.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. In Papua New Guinea, the Small Melanesian Long-fingered Bat forms colonies of thousands of individuals. In New Caledonia and Loyalty Islands, it forms mixed colonies of hundreds and occasionally up to 1500 individuals with Little L.ong-fingered Bats and Loyalty LLong-fingered Bats.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List. There is little information about population status, ecology, and distribution of the Small Melanesian Long-fingered Bat. The Telefol and Tifal people collectit for food on New Guinea. Additional research is needed to understand its conservation threats.

Bibliography. Bonaccorso (1998), Bonaccorso & Reardon (2008c), Hill (1971c¢), Kirsch et al. (2002), Peterson (1981), Revilliod (1914), Sanborn & Nicholson (1950), Tate (1941e).