18.

Common Pipistrelle

Pipustrellus pipistrellus

French: Pipistrelle commune / German: Zwergfledermaus / Spanish: Murciélago enano

Other common names: Common Pipistrelle Bat, Small House Bat

Taxonomy. Vespertilio pipistrellus Schreber, 1774, France.

Pipistrellus as currently defined is paraphyletic with a Western and an Eastern clade. The Western clade includes all European and African species (FP. pipistrellus, P. pygwaeus,- P cveticus, P hanali, P nathusé, P. maderensis, P. kuhlu, P. hesperidus, P. rus-Yicus, P. nanulus, P. inexspeciatus, P. ae, P. permixtus, and P. raceyr); the Eastern clade includes all Asiatic species (FP. dhofarensis, P. abramus, P. endou, P. sturdeei, P. javanicus, P. cooomandra, P. ceylonicus, P. tenuis, P. paterculus, P. stenopterus, P. minahassae, P. collinus, P. papuanus, P. angulatus, P. wattsi, P. westralis, and P. adamst), although this is a rather broad definition because not all currently recognized species are sequenced. The Eastern clade seems to be closely related to Glischropus; the Western clade is closer to Nyctalus with Vansonia (previously included in Pipistrellus), sister to the entire clade. During the 1980s and the 1990s, P. pipistrellus was split into P. pipistrellus and P. pygmaeus based on acoustic surveys, in which two different frequency bands were detected. Because of recent taxonomic changes, their distributions and conservation status are still debated. All records and phylogenetic analyses support the hypothesis that P. pupistrellus expanded into Europe from the Mediterranean during the Holocene. There seems to be three major genetic lineages in P. pipistrellus that might represent 2-3 distinct species: one throughout Europe and Asia, one in North Africa, and the other in Corsica and Sicily, which is sister to the North African part. Two subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

P.p.pipistrellusSchreber,1774—mostofEurope(fromIrelandandIberianPeninsulaEtoRussia),Turkey,Levant,Caucasus,andNAfrica(MtsofMorocco,Algeria,Tunisia,andLibya).

P. p. aladdin Thomas, 1905 — SW & E Asia (Iran E to Kazakhstan and Afghanistan, India, NE Myanmar, W, E & S China, and Taiwan I).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 35-52 mm,tail 23-36 mm, ear 8-13 mm, hindfoot 6-7 mm, forearm 27-34-5 mm; weight 3-8-5 g. Dorsal pelage of the Common Pipistrelle is pale brown to grayish brown and even yellowish or blackish occasionally; venter is generally lighter than dorsum. It generally has darker skin (black or dark brown) than its sibling species, the Soprano Pipistrelle (P. pygmaeus). Muzzle is short, wings are narrow, wing and tail membranes are dark, and wingspan is 180-250 mm. Edge ofwings might have whitish border line similar to Kuhl’s Pipistrelle (P. kuhlii), which is lacking in Nathusius’s Pipistrelle (P. nathusii); uropatagium is only furred close to body. Ears are short, with rounded and considerably long tragus. Penis is gray, and baculum is long (c.1-8 mm), thin, and bifurcated at tip and base. Skull is slightly larger than in the Soprano Pipistrelle, with shorter mandibles and more upright canines, supposedly reflecting changes in their dietary specialization, with larger prey of the Common Pipistrelle; postorbital processis absent; condylo-basal lengths are 11-12 mm; braincase is relatively high; forehead profile is moderately concave; and sagittal crest is almost absent. I* is bicuspid, I’ is almost as high as I*, and there usually is not a gap between them; canines are comparatively weak; P? is small but visible above gum and slightly displaced lingually; C' and P* touch; and lower molars are nyctalodont. Dental formula for all species of Pipustrellusis12/3,C1/1,P2/2,M 3/3 (x2) = 34. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 42-44, FNa = 48-50, and FN = 52-54.

Habitat. Great variety of habitats including woodlands, forest edges, urban and rural areas, shrublands, semi-desert areas, farmland, and pastures from sea level up to elevations of ¢. 2000 m. Despite high morphological similarity, the Soprano Pipistrelle uses mostly riparian woodlands, and the Common Pipistrelle seems more common in deciduous forests.

Food and Feeding. The Common Pipistrelle feeds on small flies (Diptera, mainly Nematocera and Muscidae) and occasionally moths (Lepidoptera), but it also reportedly preys on Trichoptera, Ephemeroptera, Hymenoptera, Neuroptera, and Coleoptera. It tends to forage along tree lines and land structures that protect them from wind, around streetlamps in cities or villages, and riverine habitats with smooth water surfaces and trees on both banks. Common Pipistrelles produce up to ten feeding buzzes per minute and are aerial hawkers.

Breeding. Maternity colonies can have several hundred individuals but usually contain 25-50 individuals. Nursery colonies are usually formed in May, and 1-2 young are born from mid-June to July. Young start to fly alone at c.1 month of age. Females become sexually active when they are c.1 year old, but males when they are c.2 years old. Mating occurs in August—October (autumn) when males defend territories, make courtship flights, and secrete specific odors. In Central Europe, Common Pipistrelles occasionally hybridize with Soprano Pipistrelles. Common Pipistrelles live an average of nine years; maximum longevity recorded was 16 years.

Activity patterns. Common Pipistrelles emerge c.20 minutes after sunset, and even earlier during warmest nights, with other species of Pipistrellus. Between May andJune, they emerge soon after dusk and return between midnight and dawn, showing a unimodal activity pattern. In late June, activity becomes bimodal, with one peak after dusk and another one before dawn. Flight is slow, erratic, and quite unpredictable, usually following linear structures and hunting with rapid and frequent dives. Roosts occur in a wide variety of natural and artificial structures (e.g. rock crevices, empty cavities in buildings, hollow trees, or under tree bark). The Common Pipistrelle is quite adaptable and resilient in urban-modified environments. Maternity roosts have been reported in buildings, trees (different types of forests), bridges, and wall crevices. Hibernation occurs in cliffs, old buildings, churches with wide walls (behind cladding), caves, mines, cellars, tunnels, and potentially also hollow trees, usually from late autumn to early spring. Echolocation calls are generally rather FM, especially in cluttered environments, but they shift to QCF calls in open spaces (pulses up to 10 milliseconds). Frequencies of maximum energy are42-51 kHz. Calls vary substantially depending on environmental clutter. Social calls usually have 4-5 trills, with lower frequency than search pulses.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Common Pipistrelle usually hunts in the same locations each night (e.g. over ponds, wetlands, and agricultural lands) that can be up to 25 km from the roost. Distances to foraging areas are reduced during lactation. Home ranges and foraging distances seem to be greater than in the Soprano Pipistrelle. Although the Common Pipistrelle is not considered migratory, some movements over 400 km have been reported, probably due to seasonal roost changes. While foraging sites are usually really close to nursery colonies, winter roosts are usually up to 50 km away from them. Summer roosts have relatively large colonies, but they roost individually or within small clusters during hibernation (some exceptions occur in Romania and Slovakia where colonies of 100,000 individuals have been reported). Swarming occurs during several months after parturition. The Common Pipistrelle might share roosts with other bat species such as Kuhl’s Pipistrelle.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Common Pipistrelle is one of the most common bats in its distribution, rather widespread and abundant, and considered to be favored by increases in urban areas. Although recent population increases have been noted, in some cities in Serbia and Russia,it seems to be displaced by Kuhl’s Pipistrelle. Due to proximity of roosts to humans, many colonies of Common Pipistrelles suffer from direct persecution and roost disturbance. In cities, they might also be threatened by domestic animals. Most conservation actions take place in urban environments, including bat boxes and building renovation activities.

Bibliography. Arlettaz, Godat & Meyer (2000), Arslan & Zima (2014), Barlow (1997), Battersby (2005), Benda, Hulva & Gaisler (2004), Davidson-Watts et al. (2006), Decu et al. (2003), Dietz & Kiefer (2016), Evin et al. (2011), Fedyk & Ruprecht (1976), Hulva, Benda et al. (2007), Hulva, Horaéek et al. (2004), Hutson, Spitzenberger, Aulagnier, Coroiu et al. (2008a), Hutterer et al. (2005), Jones (1997), Kalko (1995b), Lundberg & Gerell (1986), Nagy & Szanté (2003), Neuhauser & DeBlase (1971), Nicholls & Racey (2006), Racey (1974b), Racey & Swift (1981, 1985), Swift (1980), Swift et al. (1985), Sztencel-Jabtonka et al. (2009), Verboom & Huitema (1997), Verboom & Spoelstra (1999), Warren et al. (2000).