28.

Koepcke’s Hairy-nosed Bat

Gardnerycteris koepckeae

French: Gardneryctere de Koepcke / German: Koepcke-Haarblattnase / Spanish: Gardnericterio de Koepcke

Taxonomy. Mimon koepckeae Gardner & Patton, 1972,

“Huanhuachayo (12° 44’ S, 73° 47' W), elevation ca.1660 meters, Departamento de Ayacucho, Peru.” Based on phylogenetic analysis, N. Hurtado and V. Pacheco in 2014 reassigned koepckeae to the new genus Gardnerycteris . Monotypic.

Distribution. E Andesslope forests (Ayacucho and Junin regions), C Peru.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 64 mm,tail 16 mm, ear 23 mm, hindfoot 9 mm, forearm 45-51 mm; weight 11-15 g. Koepcke’s Hairy-nosed Bat is medium-sized and can be distinguished by its pale color, lack of dorsal stripe, narrow auditory bullae, and vertical groove on cingulum between paracone and hypocone of M' and M?. Other diagnostic characteristics are small size, pronounced rostral tapering, lesser rostral inflation, absence of median depression, lesser degree of auditory bullar inflation, and less well-developed lingual cingular clef. Margin of slender noseleaf is crenulated and fringed with straight hairs, pale dorsal median stripe is present or absent, and wing membrane attaches to side offoot.

Habitat. Montane forests. Huanhuachayo, the type locality, is above the Rio Santa Rosa, and Koepcke’s Hairy-nosed Bats were netted in a forest bordering a clearing.

Food and Feeding. One Koepcke’s Hairy-nosed Bat was examined for food habits. Fecal analysis revealed remains (i.e. elytra, wings, legs, and antennas) of Elateridae (30%) and Scarabaeidae (70%) beetles.

Breeding. A female Koepcke’s Hairy-nosed Bat with perforated genitalia, meaning recent sexual activity, was collected in October.

Activity patterns. Koepcke’s Hairy-nosed Bats have been caught at ground level in mist nets and in a natural canopy opening in early rainy season (May).

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Koepcke’s Hairy-nosed Bat was collected with Ecuadorian Tailless Bats ( Anoura aequatoris), Silky Short-tailed Bats ( Carollia brevicaudum), Little Big-eared Bats ( Micronycteris megalotis), Greater Yellow-shouldered Bats ( Sturnira magna), Melissa’s Yellow-eared Bats ( Vampyressa melissa), Southern Hairylegged Myotis ( Myotis keayst), and Riparian Myotis (M. riparius).

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List (as Mimon koepckeae). Koepcke’s Hairy-nosed Batis considered critically endangered by Peruvian legislation (as M. koepckeae).

Bibliography. Gardner & O'Neill (1971), Gardner & Patton (1972), Hurtado & D’Elia (2018), Hurtado & Pacheco (2014), Hurtado et al. (2014), MINAGRI (2014).