250.

Big Red Bat

Lasiurus egregius

French: Grand Lasiure / German: Brasilien-Haarschwanzfledermaus / Spanish: Lasiuro grande rojo

Other common names: Giant Red Bat

Taxonomy. Atalapha egregia Peters, 1870,

Santa Catarina, Brazil.

Lasiurus has been divided into three informal groups (i.e. Red Bat, Yellow Bat, and Hoary Bat) based on morphological and allozyme evidence. Recent molecular studies based on mtDNA and nDNA recovered these groups as monophyletic and suggested they should be elevated to distinct genera; however, there are no phenotypic discontinuities to justify this change. Lasiurus egregius was considered part of the Red Bat group based on morphological evidence, but molecular analyses placed it into the Hoary Bat group, contrasting with morphological evidence. Monotypic.

Distribution. Known from scattered localities in a widespread distribution, including Honduras, Panama, Colombia, Suriname, French Guiana, and Brazil (Amazonas, Para, Pernambuco, Minas Gerais, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 57- 5-70 mm, tail 46-7-57- 4 mm, ear 13- 7-15 mm, hindfoot 7-5-9- 3 mm, forearm 47-4-48- 8 mm; weight 11-16 g. Wingspans are 376 398- 4 mm. Dorsal hairs are tricolored, with dark brown bases, yellowish middles, and reddish tips. Ventral hairs are bicolored, with dark bases and bright reddish tips. Ears are longer than wide. Tragus has straight internal margin and strongly angled external margin. Wing membranes are black, with paler areas surrounding thumbs and phalanges. Uropatagium is densely furred, with reddish hairs on anterior region and sparsely fur on posterior region. Females of all species of Lasiurus usually have four mammae. Skull is short, with rounded braincase, and lacrimal ridge is absent. P? is absent, P,is one-half the size of P,, and cingulum of P, is clearly bilobed. Dental formula is I 1/3, Cl/1L,P1/2,M3/3 (x2) =30.

Habitat. Savannas, rainforests, montane forests, and secondary forests at elevations of 25-2900 m. The Big Red Bat has been captured over a stream in evergreen forest, over water bodies in Amazon biome, and in swampy areas.

Food and Feeding. The Big Red Batis an aerial insectivore. Based on scarce information, it probably forages over watercourses and streams, capturing insects in flight, similarly to its congeners. Wing morphology suggests that it forages in uncluttered spaces; it has good flight maneuverability.

Breeding. In Panama, a pregnant Big Red Bat with two embryos was captured in late February. In Honduras, a lactating female was captured in early May.

Activity patterns. Duration of echolocation calls are 1-5-7-8 milliseconds. Calls have FM componentfollowed by QCF terminal part; start frequencies are 36-2-67-2 kHz, and end frequencies are 22-6-33-9 kHz. Harmonics are rare.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List. The Big Red Batis extremely rare and known only from a few localities.

Bibliography. Alvarez-Castaneda & Gonzalez-Ruiz (2018), Baird et al. (2015), Baker, Patton et al. (1988), Bianconi & Pedro (2017), Gardner & Handley (2008), Hall & Jones (1961), Lopez-Baucells et al. (2014), Mora (2012), Novaes, Garbino et al. (2018), Shump & Shump (1982a), Sousa et al. (2004), Vieira (1942).