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Oriental Serotine

Eptesicus pachyomus

French: Sérotine a gros museau / German: Orientalische Breitflligelfledermaus / Spanish: Eptesicus de hocico largo

Other common names: Mouse-like Serotine, Thick-muzzled Serotine

Taxonomy. Scotophilus pachyomus Tomes, 1857,

Rajputana, India.

Eptesicus pachyomus was recently recognized as a distinct species from FE. serotinus based on limited genetic and morphological data. In a recent genetic study by J. Juste and colleagues in 2013, E. pachyomus was found to be either sister to E. serotinus with a high degree of separation (using nuclear genes) or sister to a clade including a paraphyletic E. serotinus, E. ognevi, and E. bottae (using mitochondrial genes), butit consistently formed a monophyletic clade distinct from FE. serotinus . Specific status of E. pachyomus is still debatable because more recent genetic studies by I. V. Artyushin and colleagues in 2018 found conflicting results using mitochondrial and nuclear genes, with nuclear genes supporting the traditional view that E. serotinus includes both E. isabellinus and E. pachyomus . Eptesicus pachyomus is retained as a full species here, pending additional studies using rigorous genetic and morphological data across distributions of all taxa attributed to E. serotinus sensu lato . The Korean endemic taxon E. kobayashii is typically recognized as distinct species, but this has been questioned because no recent records have been reported and there are very limited data to supportits specific status. Eptesicus kobayashii has variously been included under FE. nilssonii or E. serotinus, but it appears to have more of an affinity to E. serotinus (now E. pachyomus) and is tentatively included as a synonym of E. pachyomus pallens until additional studies can prove its distinction. Taxon pashtonus is considered a synonym of the nominate subspecies here because it does not appear to be morphologically distinctive enough to represent a distinct subspecies. Exact distributional limits between E. pachyomus and E. serotinus are still uncertain in Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and China. Distinctions among subspecies might be weak, and geographical boundaries between each are uncertain, requiring additional research. Four subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

E.p.pachyomusTomes,1857—SEIran,NEAfghanistan,NPakistan,extremeSWChina(Tibet[=Xizang]),NIndia(JammuandKashmirEtoNagaland),Nepal,andBhutan.

E.p.andersoniDobson,1871—EMyanmar,C,SC&SEChina(Sichuan,Yunnan,Guizhou,Hunan,Jiangxi,Anhui,Jiangsu,Shanghai,Zhejiang,andFujian),NThailand,NLaos,andNVietnam.

E.p.horikawaiKishida,1924—TaiwanI.

E. p. pallens G. S. Miller, 1911 — S Mongolia, NC, NE, C & E China (Gansu, Inner Mongolia [= Nei Mongol], Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Sichuan, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, Shandong, Henan, Hubei, Anhui, andJiangsu), and Korean Peninsula.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 73-80 mm, tail 50-60 mm, ear 14-21-3 mm, hindfoot 10-14 mm, forearm 49-57 mm; weight 15-35 g. The Oriental Serotine is similar to the Eurasian Serotine ( E. serotinus). Dorsal pelage is dark grayish brown to dark brown (pale tips to hairs); venteris paler yellowish brown to grayish or yellowish white. Bare face, ears, and membranes are dark brown or blackish. Ears are subtriangular and broadly rounded, with five transverse folds on outer margins; tragus is about one-third the ear length, posterior margin is smoothly convex, and tip is bluntly pointed. Tail extends ¢.2-3 mm past uropatagium, and calcar is robust, reaching one-third to halfway toward tail tip, and has poorly developed postcalcarial lobe; wings are attached to base of each foot. Baculum is broadly Y-shaped, with moderately deep basal bifurcation. Skull is essentially similar to the Eurasian Serotine, and additional studies are needed to better differentiate the two species, but the Oriental Serotine appears to have a relatively very broad skull relative to rostrum, zygomatic arch, and braincase dimensions, and braincase is relatively high. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 48 and FNa = 50 (Taiwan).

Habitat. Temperate, wet, and subtropical dry dipterocarp forests and often anthropogenic environments at elevations of 462-2338 m.

Food and Feeding. Oriental Serotines are probably similar to the Eurasian Serotine in foraging strategy, forging by slow hawking in open areas. In Iran, their diet contained Carabidae (40% by volume), Curculionidae (20%), Heteroptera (20%), and Blattodea (20%). They seem tofeed largely on Coleoptera similarly to the Eurasian Serotine.

Breeding. In Iran, pregnant Oriental Serotines with two fetuses were caught in mid-April and lactating females in early May. In Afghanistan, pregnant females were caught throughout April. Two subadults were caught in Kashmir in October. These data suggest that births occur in late April and early May.

Activity patterns. Oriental Serotines roost in tree hollows and crevices in buildings and cliffs. They leave their roosts to forage around dusk (usually after sunset). They hibernate throughout winter.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Oriental Serotines usually roost alone or in small groups throughout much of the year; females probably form larger maternity colonies during the breeding season.

Status and Conservation. Not assessed on The IUCN Red List. The Oriental Serotine was included under the Eurasian Serotine, which is classified as Least Concern. The Oriental Serotine is widespread and does not seem to have any major threats, although localized roost disturbance might be an issue.

Bibliography. Artyushin, Bannikova et al. (2009), Artyushin, Kruskop et al. (2018), Bates & Harrison (1997), Benda & Gaisler (2015), Benda et al. (2012), Francis (2008a), Hutson, Spitzenberger, Aulagnier, Alcalde et al. (2008), Jo Yeong-Seok et al. (2018), Juste et al. (2013), Kruskop (2013a), Lin Liangkong, Motokawa & Harada (2002a), Smith & Xie Yan (2008), Zima et al. (1991).