121.

Roberts’s Serotine

Neoromicia robertsi

French: espére de Roberts / German: Roberts-Zwergfledermaus / Spanish: Neoromicia de Roberts

Taxonomy. Neoromicia robertsi Goodman et al, 2012,

“ Madagascar: Province d’Antananarivo, Anjozorobe, Amboasary, 18°24.295'S, 47°56.699'E.”

Madagascan specimens previously assigned to melckorum were the basis for the description of N. robertsi . The species was found to be sister to N. malagasyensis . Monotypic.

Distribution. E Madagascar.

Descriptive notes. Head-body c¢.53-58 mm, tail 31-35 mm, ear ¢. 13 mm, hindfoot ¢. 6 mm, forearm 34:5-38 mm. Females may be larger than males: the only female available is consistently larger than the two males (average forearm length of males 34-5 mm vs. 38 mm of female). Dorsal and ventral pelage of Roberts’s Serotine is dark chocolate-brown; on venter, outer fur of upper chest often has a slightly lighter sheen, giving the impression of being bicolored. Ears and tragus are blackish brown; lower proximal one-half of ear is furred, tragusis less than 50% of ear length, and outer margins are parallel for about two-thirds of proximal length before curving slightly, finishing in a rounded tip. Wings and interfemoral membrane are blackish brown. Skull is large for Neoromicia, 14-3-14-6 mm in the two males. I? is about one-half height of I, and is bicuspid. Dental formula has been reported tobe: 12/3, C1/1,P 1/2, M 2/3 (x2) = 30, but this seems to be an error.

Habitat. Known only from two localities in eastern Madagascar: Anjozorobe-Angavo and Mantadia-Analamazaotra (Andasibe-Mantadia National Park); these areas comprise partially degraded habitats at altitudes of 900-1300 m.

Food and Feeding. Roberts’s Serotine is reported to feed on Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Trichoptera, and Homoptera.

Breeding. The male collected in November had relatively large testes. Due to the form and shape of the mammae, the female (also from November) had apparently given birth and lactated.

Activity patterns. No information.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red Last.

Bibliography. Bates et al. (2006), Gomard et al. (2016), Goodman & Ranivo (2004), Goodman, Taylor et al. (2012), Rakotondramanana et al. (2015).