Cohen’s Horseshoe Bat

Fig. 4, 4, Fig. S1, Table 3, 4, Table S1, Appendix S1

Holotype. DM 8626; adult male, alcohol skin, skull and prepared baculum (Fig. 9f), collected by L. Cohen, 28 September 2004. Skull and mandible in good condition.

Type locality. Barberton, Mountainland Nature Reserve, 68 km SE Sudwala, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa, 25 ° 43 ' 8 " S; 31 ° 15 ' 58 " E; elevation 690 m asl.

Diagnosis. Lowest recorded peak frequency (33.0 kHz in the holotype; mean 32.8±0.24 kHz, n = 7 in type series) which immediately distinguishes this species from all others. Noseleaf extremely wide, 13.5–16.3 mm (15.5 mm in holotype), exceeding the previously described range (12–15) for the species [12]. Body size and cranial size very large (Table 5; FL 66–68 mm; holotype 65.9 mm; GSL 29–30 mm; CCL 24–26 mm; holotype 29.9 mm and 25.6 mm respectively). In body and cranial size this species overlaps with mabuensis; however the latter species has a distinct echolocation frequency (ca 38 kHz) and a distinct baculum (‘‘ Type 2’’). Anterior upper premolar conspicuous and located within tooth row or entirely absent. In the holotype and in three additional specimens, the anterior premolar is prominent and located within the toothrow. In another three specimens, the anterior premolar is absent (and the canine and posterior premolar in contact). In another specimen the prominent anterior premolar is situated in the toothrow on the right side but absent on the left side, leaving a small gap between canine and posterior premolar. In no cases were specimens found to have small anterior premolars situated external to the toothrow, thus distinguishing this species from hildebrandtii s.s. [12]. The baculum (total length 3.5 mm in holotype) has a unique shape (‘‘ Type 1’’; Fig. 9) characterised by narrow, laterally compressed and ventrally deflected shaft, emarginated distal portion and spatulate tip, which is not found in other species of the hildebrandtii complex in which the baculum has been described (mossambicus and mabuensis). Genotypes of R.cohenae are members of Clade 1a (Fig. 2).

Paratypes. DM 7886 (adult male, alcohol skin and skull, collected by L. Cohen on 27 September 2004 from type locality), DM11620, DM 11919, DM 11918 (adult males, alcohol skin and skull, collected by S. Stoffberg and L. Cohen on 27 September 2009).

Description. Dorsal and ventral colour similar to R. hildebrandtii s.s., but larger in noseleaf, skull and external dimensions as described above. The noseleaf shows the typical low, rounded shape of the connecting process in lateral view, in the holotype (Fig. 8b) and in other specimens examined (e.g. Fig. 8a). Lower lip with single mental groove. The robust skull is represented in the mean cranial dimensions (Table 5; Fig. 5). In lateral view the skull has a prominent rostral chamber that extends to the same height as the sagittal crest; albeit the cranium is distinctly elongated and flattened in lateral profile (Fig. 6). In dorsal view the V-shaped inter-orbital basin formed by the supraorbital ridges is very prominent, with the anterior root of the sagittal crest displaced posteriorly (Fig. 6).

Distribution. Known only from three closely-spaced localities in Mpumalanga Province of South Africa in the vicinity of Nelspruit.

Ecology. The type locality of Barberton is located in the Savanna Biome [114] at 690 m, close to the border of the Grassland Biome. Two nearby additional localities (Sudwala and Mayo Mines) are located in the Grassland Biome (Mesic Highveld Grassland) at altitudes between 900 and 1100 m.

Etymology. We selected the specific epithet to recognize Lientjie Cohen who collected the type specimen. She has contributed significantly to the conservation of bats in South Africa, particularly in Mpumalanga Province. The species name combines the surname Cohen and genitive singular case-ending ‘‘ae’’ indicative of feminine gender.

Specimens examined. See Table S1.