21.

Hanak’s Pipistrelle

Pipistrellus hanaki

French: Pipistrelle de Libye / German: Hanéak-Zwergfledermaus / Spanish: Pipistrela de Libia

Other common names: Hanak's Dwarf Bat

Taxonomy. Pipistrellus hanaki Hulva & Benda in Benda, Hulva & Gaisler, 2004,

“ Libya, Cyrenaica, upper part of the Wadi Al Kuf (the Jabal Akhdar Mts.), ca. 5 km southwest of Al Bayda, Al Jabal Al Akhdar Dist., 32°44°N, 21°41’E. ca. 495 m asl.”

Pipistrellus hanaki 1s considered closely related to P. pipustrellus and P. pygmaeus, but it differs from them based on a number of morphological characteristics. Pipustrellushanaki, P. creticus, and P. pygmaeus form a monophyletic clade thatis sister to P. pipistrellus . It previously included P. creticus as a distinct subspecies, but genetic data support its recognition as a distinct species. Monotypic.

Distribution. N Cyrenaica region in NE Libya.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 41-49 mm, tail 32-39 mm, ear 9-5-13 mm, forearm 30-8-33-4 mm; weight 3-8-6-5 g. Dorsal pelage of Hanak’s Pipistrelle is pale to rusty brown (darkest along back and top of head and becoming lighter along sides); ventral pelage is paler brown; and face, wing membranes, ears, and tragus are dark brown, being slightly paler around eyes and bases of ears. Hind border ofwing membranes is generally paler and more translucent or is not distinct. Ears are rounded at tops, and tragus has rounded tip and curves forward near top. Uropatagium stretches from calcar at ankles to tail tip (tail tip extends ¢.0-5—-1 mm beyond uropatagium), and is the same color as wing membranes. Glans penis is simple and has more or less obvious pale medialstripe dorsally and foreskin covered in grayish brown hair. Baculum is long, thin, bifurcated at both ends, and c.1-8 mm long. Hanak’s Pipistrelle has long forearm and large skull, rostrum is relatively long and broad (broader than in the Crete Pipistrelle, P. creticus), lower molars are nyctalodont, I’ is bicuspid, canines are massive compared with the Common Pipistrelle ( P. pipistrellus), and M' is present and well developed but displaced lingually.

Habitat. Mediterranean woodland with interspersed shrubland and mosaics of shrubland and agricultural land (including pastures and fields) from sea level up to ¢. 500 m.

Food and Feeding. Hanak’s Pipistrelles are insectivorous. They have been recorded foraging over water bodies and around rocky outcrops (including overhangs and cave entrances). Four stomach samples contained small Lepidoptera and small Coleoptera ( Scarabaeidae, Carabidae, Staphylinidae). In a different locality, two digestive tracts contained primarily cockroaches ( Blattodea) and Nematocera ( Culicidae and Chironomidae), with smaller amounts of Hymenoptera (Ichneumonoidea) . Araneae and Brachycera were also reported at different localities. Presence of Brachycera and Araneae in stomach samples suggests that they start to forage before dawn to catch diurnal prey or they forage close to vegetation.

Breeding. Seven pregnant Hanak’s Pipistrelles with relatively well-developed embryos were captured in mid-May, suggesting that births occur in late May. Litter size is two.

Activity patterns. Hanak’s Pipistrelle is nocturnal. Call shape is FM-QCEF, with peak frequency of c.45 kHz.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List. Although very little is known regarding its ecology and threats, Hanak’s Pipistrelle is considered relatively common throughoutits distribution.

Bibliography. ACR (2018), Aulagnier & Benda (2013), Aulagnier & Palmeirim (2008), Benda, Georgiakakis et al. (2008), Benda, Hulva & Gaisler (2004), Benda, Spitzenberger et al. (2014), Evin et al. (2011), Hulva et al. (2010).