100.

Joftre’s Pipistrelle

Hypsugo joffrei

French: Vespeére de Joffre / German: Joffre-Zwergfledermaus / Spanish: Hypsugo de Joffre

Other common names: Anthony's Pipistrelle

Taxonomy. Nyctalus joffrei Thomas, 1915,

“ Kachin Hills, Upper Burma [= Myanmarl.”

Hypsugo joffre includes H. anthony: as a synonym, based on morphological evidence. This species has been confused with Philetor brachypterus in India, and some specimens previously thought to represent that species actually represent H. joffrei . The relationship ofthis species to other Hypsugo is uncertain, and genetic data are needed for clarification. Monotypic.

Distribution. E Nepal, NE India (Sikkim and Meghalaya), N Myanmar, and NW Vietnam.

Descriptive notes. Head-body c¢. 61 mm, tail 37-41 mm, ear c. 13 mm, hindfoot ¢. 8 mm, forearm 37-8-40-2 mm. Muzzle of Joffre’s Pipistrelle has enlarged glands on either side. Dorsal pelage is glossy dark brown with slight reddish tinge (hairs uniformly colored); ventral pelage is lighter golden brown (hairs darker basally, lighter at tip). Bare face, ears, wings, and limbs are dark brown. Ears are broad and short with rounded tip, and are broadly equilateral-triangle-shaped; tragusis short and rounded with basal lobe, inner margin being concave and outer margin convex. Wings are long and narrow, similar to Nyctalus species, and attach at middle of metatarsus. Tail is free for last two vertebrae, and calcar has distinct lobe. Penisis typical in shape for Hypsugo and bristly on dorsal shaft. Baculum of specimens from Vietnam was very short (c. 1 mm) with short shaft that constricted in middle, and bulbous, broadly rounded tip; base is deeply bifurcated, making two separate shafts leading to inward-curving bulbous tip that is concave ventrally. Skull is compact with short, wide rostrum and short, globose braincase;sagittal and occipital crests are very weakly developed.I? is higher than I’; C! has prominent second cusp (one-half the heightoffirst) and is divergent; P* is minute and intruded, although one specimen was reported with only one P?, with tooth missing on left tooth row; P, is compressed and within tooth row; and lower molars are myotodont.

Habitat. Typically collected in forested habitats, although it was recorded in agricultural landscapes and secondary growth in Vietnam, and close to a small stream in the middle of human habitations adjacent to a park-like forest with Pinus kesiya ( Pinaceae) in Sikkim, north-eastern India. Collected in secondary deciduous and pine forest in cultivated areas in Myanmar. Recorded at elevations of 575-2134 m.

Food and Feeding. According to observations in Vietnam, Joffre’s Pipistrelle is an aerial hawker with powerful high-speed flight.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. No information.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List (and also listed as Data Deficient as H. anthonyi). Joffre’s Pipistrelle is known from only a few specimens scattered over a relatively wide area. Nothing is known of its ecology and threats, and further research is needed.

Bibliography. Bates et al. (2005), Francis (2008a), Gorfol, Francis, Bates & Csorba (2016), Kruskop (2013a), Kruskop & Shchinov (2010), Saikia et al. (2017).