Glauconycteris machadoi Hayman 1963

145.

Machado’s Butterfly Bat

Glauconycteris machadoi

French: Glauconyctére de Machado / German: Machado-Schmetterlingsfledermaus / Spanish: Glauconicterio de Machado

Taxonomy. Glauconycteris machadoi Hayman, 1963,

Lac Calungo, Angola.

Some authors treated machadoi as a melanistic subspecies or mutant of G. variegata, but it is considered a distinct species here based on its distinct fur color. Monotypic.

Distribution. Known only from type locality in E Angola.

Descriptive notes. Head-body ¢. 57 mm, tail 48 mm, ear 13 mm, hindfoot 8-5 mm, forearm 46 mm (type specimen). Pelage is flufty and silky, with mid-dorsal hairs ¢. 8 mm long. Dorsum of Machado’s Butterfly Bat is medium dark brown without markings, becoming slightly paler on neck and distinctly darker on top of head and face and with slightly paler bases. Ventral furis pale grayish cream. Chin,lips, and throat are suffused with pale grayish brown. Ears are separated, rounded, and short compared with other vespertilionids, and outer margins connect with fleshy lobe near corner of mouth. Tragusis similar to that of the Variegated Butterfly Bat (G. variegata). Eyes are very small. Flight membranes are conspicuously reticulated. Wings and uropatagium are translucent and pale brown (but might be orangein life), with very dark reddish brown pigment outlining wing bones and venation. Tibia is long (c. 20 mm). Skull and dentition are similar to those of the Variegated Butterfly Bat.

Habitat. Wetter miombo woodland dominated by Brachystegia and Julbernardia (both Fabaceae).

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. Holotype was collected in a house.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List. Machado’s Butterfly Bat is known from only one female specimen.

Bibliography. Crawford-Cabral (1989), Happold, M. (2013ba), Hayman (1963), Hayman & Hill (1971), Koopman (1971a), Peterson & Smith (1973), Simmons (2005).