111.

Anchieta’s Pipistrelle

Hypsugo anchieta

French: Vespere d'Anchieta / German: Anchieta-Zwergfledermaus / Spanish: Hypsugo de Anchieta

Other common names: Anchieta’s Bat, Miombo Pipistrelle

Taxonomy. Vesperugo anchieta Seabra, 1900,

Cahata, Angola.

Placement within Hypsugo is tentative, and the species may be best situated in Neoromicia, based on genetic data; here retained in Hypsugo, pending more detailed genetic and morphological studies that include more species of Hypsugo and Neoromicia . Populations of Madagascar formerly attributed to this species have recently been described as a new species, H. bemainty, H. anchieta appears to be sister to H. bemainty based on genetic data. The species may be more widely distributed, and some specimens currently attributed to Pipistrellus hesperidus may really refer to H. anchieta. The specific epithet is sometimes misspelled anchietae or anchietai. Monotypic.

Distribution. Angola, SE DR Congo, W Zambia, Zimbabwe, C Mozambique, N Botswana, E South Africa, and Swaziland.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 45-49 mm, tail 32-39 mm, ear 10-13 mm, hindfoot 5-6 mm, forearm 29-34 mm; weight 4-2-6 g. Pelage of Anchieta’s Pipistrelle is soft and dense; dorsally yellowish brown, reddish brown, medium brown, or dark brown (hairs blackish brown for basal two-thirds); ventrally pale brown, cream, or white, being palest in pelvic region (hairs usually blackish for basal two-thirds with some hairs all white). Bare skin of muzzle and around eyes is medium to dark brown, ears are medium brown, wing membranes are dark brown or blackish brown (occasionally with white hind border), and uropatagium is a little paler medium or dark brown. Ears are subtriangular with rounded tip; tragus is about one-half the ear height, has smoothly convex posterior margin, basal lobe, and rounded tip. Tail is more or less fully enclosed by uropatagium. Baculum (c.1-3 mm long) is variably more or less robust with thin, straight shaft that extends outward at base and tip, and is either hollow ventrally or has solid shaft; tip has distinct hammer-head shape with two lobes extending forward off tip, in dorsal view; base is a little bifurcated and protrudes both ventrally and dorsally, in lateral view. Skull is comparatively gracile; braincase is moderately high and wide; interorbital region has medium relative breadth; rostrum is moderately long but relatively narrow; forehead is weakly concave; and rostrum has well-developed lateral depression just above infraorbital foramina. I? is bicuspid; I® is minute; P? is minute, not visible above gum, and intruded from tooth row; C' and P* do not touch; and lower molars are myotodont. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 26 and FNa = 32.

Habitat. Riverine, coastal, and scrub forests, bushveld, and dry and moist savanna. Anchieta’s Pipistrelle is usually associated with open water and has been seen flying over or near water, along dirt roads with thick bush on either side, and along dry riverbeds.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. A pregnant female with two fetuses was captured in KwaZulu-Natal, eastern South Africa, in November.

Activity patterns. Anchieta’s Pipistrelle is nocturnal. One was found roosting in a tree in Zambia. Call shape is probably a steep FM sweep. At Durban, eastern South Africa, one study reported average peak frequency of 55-9 kHz and duration of 2-1 milliseconds, while another had peak frequency of 54-5 kHz.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List (as Pipistrellus anchietae). Apparently widespread, with no major threats known.

Bibliography. ACR (2018), Bates et al. (2006), Cotterill (1996a), Goodman, Rakotondramanana et al. (2015), Kearney (2013e), Kearney & Taylor (1997), Kearney et al. (2002), Monadjem, Griffin et al. (2017d), Naidoo et al. (2011), Rautenbach et al. (1993), Schoeman & Waddington (2011), Taylor (1998).