The Project Gutenberg eBook ofSystematics of Megachiropteran Bats in the Solomon IslandsThis ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online atwww.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.Title: Systematics of Megachiropteran Bats in the Solomon IslandsAuthor: Carleton J. PhillipsRelease date: July 1, 2012 [eBook #40112]Most recently updated: October 23, 2024Language: EnglishCredits: Produced by Chris Curnow, Joseph Cooper, Tom Cosmas andthe Online Distributed Proofreading Team athttp://www.pgdp.net*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SYSTEMATICS OF MEGACHIROPTERAN BATS IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS ***
This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online atwww.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.
Title: Systematics of Megachiropteran Bats in the Solomon IslandsAuthor: Carleton J. PhillipsRelease date: July 1, 2012 [eBook #40112]Most recently updated: October 23, 2024Language: EnglishCredits: Produced by Chris Curnow, Joseph Cooper, Tom Cosmas andthe Online Distributed Proofreading Team athttp://www.pgdp.net
Title: Systematics of Megachiropteran Bats in the Solomon Islands
Author: Carleton J. Phillips
Author: Carleton J. Phillips
Release date: July 1, 2012 [eBook #40112]Most recently updated: October 23, 2024
Language: English
Credits: Produced by Chris Curnow, Joseph Cooper, Tom Cosmas andthe Online Distributed Proofreading Team athttp://www.pgdp.net
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SYSTEMATICS OF MEGACHIROPTERAN BATS IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS ***
University of Kansas PublicationsMuseum of Natural HistoryVol. 16, No. 8, pp. 777-837, 17 figures in textDecember 16, 1968Systematics of Megachiropteran Batsin the Solomon IslandsBYCARLETON J. PHILLIPSUniversity of KansasLawrence1968
University of Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural HistoryEditorial Committee: E. Raymond Hall, Chairman; Frank B. Cross, Editor;Henry S. Fitch; J. Knox Jones, Jr.Volume 16, No. 8, pp. 777-837, 17 figs.Published December 16, 1968University of KansasLawrence, KansasPRINTED BYROBERT R. (BOB) SANDERS, STATE PRINTERTOPEKA, KANSAS196831-9490
Systematics of Megachiropteran Batsin the Solomon IslandsBYCARLETON J. PHILLIPS
The Solomon Islands constitute an archipelago east of the large island of New Guinea and more than a thousand miles off the northeastern coast of Australia. This archipelago, which is principally of volcanic origin although sedimentary layers of calcareous rocks occur on many islands (Lever, 1934; Belkin, 1962), consists of a double chain of islands having a northwest-southeast axis of more than 600 miles. The archipelago is more or less an extension of New Guinea and in fact is connected to it in stepping-stone fashion by New Britain, New Ireland, and numerous smaller islands (seeFig. 1).
Australia and New Guinea have many kinds of mammals but the only terrestrial mammals in the Solomon Islands are a species of the genusPhalanger(order Marsupialia), and several species of four genera of rodents, one genus of which probably was introduced by man. Additionally, several kinds of bats have reached and colonized the Solomon Islands.
Fig. 1.Showing the Solomon Islands in relation to major adjacent land masses.
Fig. 1.Showing the Solomon Islands in relation to major adjacent land masses.
In the past 100 years at least 43 species and subspecies of Chiroptera of 16 genera have been recorded from the Solomon Islands; of these 27 species and subspecies of seven genera are in the suborderMegachiroptera. At least one genus of Megachiroptera is endemic as are numerous species of other genera, and subspecies of still other species.
In 1963 and 1964, the Bernice P. Bishop Museum sent several collecting parties to the British Solomon Islands Protectorate and the Australian Trust Territory of New Guinea. In the Solomons, J. Linsley Gressitt, Philip Temple, Peter Shanahan, and Ray Straatmann visited many of the larger and more accessible islands and collected a wealth of zoological materials. I have had the opportunity to study and report on specimens of mammals, especially bats, collected by the persons named and deposited in the Bishop Museum. This report is the third in a series on bats from the Solomons (Phillips, 1966; 1967). Other specimens, mostly obtained in 1944 by personnel of United States military units, are stored in the United States National Museum and have been available for study. Aims of the following report are to (1) identify the megachiropteran bats to species and subspecies and (2) discuss distribution of these bats in the Solomon Islands.
In all, 27 kinds (subspecies and monotypic species) of the order Megachiroptera are known from the Solomon Islands. These pertain to three subfamilies of the one family Pteropodidae.
The 43 Solomon Islands, having a total land area of more than 15,300 square miles (see Belkin, 1962:42-43), are listed in thegazetteer(see alsoFigure 2). Politically, all of the Solomon Islands except Buka and Bougainville, which are included in New Guinea Trust Territory under mandate to Australia, are in the British Solomon Islands Protectorate.The Solomons are within 300 to 700 miles of the equator and have a fairly constant tropical climate, except at high elevations. The temperature varies little; monthly mean temperature is between 81° and 83° F. and at sea level ranges from about 70° to 93° F. yearly (Belkin, 1962:42).Southeast tradewinds are relatively constant from May to October and this period, in general, is a dry season except at higher elevations on windward coasts. From December to March prevailing winds are from the north and precipitation throughout the island group is especially heavy. Rainfall on the island of Tulagi averages about 120 inches per year (Bryan, Edwin H., 1941; MS, p. 2, at Pacific Sci. Information Center, Bishop Museum) and up to 300 inches have been recorded on the north coast of Guadalcanal (Belkin, 1962:42-43). Occasional dry periods occur even in the period of December to March.Most islands of the Solomon Group support dense tropical rain forest. Much of it has been modified by man. Some clearings and scattered coconut plantations are found along coasts. On some of the larger islands (for example, Guadalcanal) coastal scrub (especially on leeward coasts) and extensive grassy areas are to be found. Additional notes on vegetation are in the gazetteer.The 165,000 persons living on the Solomon Islands are mostly Melanesiansbut some are mixed Papuan, Malay, and Polynesian. These native peoples are notorious for their cannibalistic tendencies; the eating of human flesh usually was related to warfare, although malefactors and human sacrifices accounted for some of the cannibalism (Cranstone, 1961:29). Prior to the Second World War few Europeans visited the Solomons and several islands still remain beyond reach of modern-day technology. For example, Rennell and Bellona islands, south of the main part of the archipelago, are visited only rarely, and then only by a medical officer or the Resident Commissioner. According to Troughton (1936:341), the islanders in the interior of Bougainville as late as 1935, were prone to kill and feast upon strangers. In 1932, Lewis (1951:37) felt that the natives of Malaita Island were especially resistant to outside interference by Caucasians and reported that no "white man or foreigner" was safe on Malaita.Troughton (1936), who listed Melanesian names for mammals, indicated that the native peoples distinguished between kinds of bats that closely resembled one another. Of these, the only bats that seem to be used as food belong to the genusPteropus.
The 43 Solomon Islands, having a total land area of more than 15,300 square miles (see Belkin, 1962:42-43), are listed in thegazetteer(see alsoFigure 2). Politically, all of the Solomon Islands except Buka and Bougainville, which are included in New Guinea Trust Territory under mandate to Australia, are in the British Solomon Islands Protectorate.
The Solomons are within 300 to 700 miles of the equator and have a fairly constant tropical climate, except at high elevations. The temperature varies little; monthly mean temperature is between 81° and 83° F. and at sea level ranges from about 70° to 93° F. yearly (Belkin, 1962:42).
Southeast tradewinds are relatively constant from May to October and this period, in general, is a dry season except at higher elevations on windward coasts. From December to March prevailing winds are from the north and precipitation throughout the island group is especially heavy. Rainfall on the island of Tulagi averages about 120 inches per year (Bryan, Edwin H., 1941; MS, p. 2, at Pacific Sci. Information Center, Bishop Museum) and up to 300 inches have been recorded on the north coast of Guadalcanal (Belkin, 1962:42-43). Occasional dry periods occur even in the period of December to March.
Most islands of the Solomon Group support dense tropical rain forest. Much of it has been modified by man. Some clearings and scattered coconut plantations are found along coasts. On some of the larger islands (for example, Guadalcanal) coastal scrub (especially on leeward coasts) and extensive grassy areas are to be found. Additional notes on vegetation are in the gazetteer.
The 165,000 persons living on the Solomon Islands are mostly Melanesiansbut some are mixed Papuan, Malay, and Polynesian. These native peoples are notorious for their cannibalistic tendencies; the eating of human flesh usually was related to warfare, although malefactors and human sacrifices accounted for some of the cannibalism (Cranstone, 1961:29). Prior to the Second World War few Europeans visited the Solomons and several islands still remain beyond reach of modern-day technology. For example, Rennell and Bellona islands, south of the main part of the archipelago, are visited only rarely, and then only by a medical officer or the Resident Commissioner. According to Troughton (1936:341), the islanders in the interior of Bougainville as late as 1935, were prone to kill and feast upon strangers. In 1932, Lewis (1951:37) felt that the natives of Malaita Island were especially resistant to outside interference by Caucasians and reported that no "white man or foreigner" was safe on Malaita.
Troughton (1936), who listed Melanesian names for mammals, indicated that the native peoples distinguished between kinds of bats that closely resembled one another. Of these, the only bats that seem to be used as food belong to the genusPteropus.
In the following list, currently-used names of islands are given; when available, older names and variant spellings are indicated in parentheses. For certain islands, especially those visited by field parties from the Bishop Museum or those frequently mentioned in previous literature on bats, some descriptive and ecological information also is provided.Latitude and longitude of islands are from publication no. 881 of the Hydrographic Office of the United States Navy Department (Anonymous, 1944); names of islands were checked against a list by Brigham (1900); descriptive information mostly is from reports by Temple and Straatmann (1964, field notes, at the Department of Entomology, Bishop Museum).
In the following list, currently-used names of islands are given; when available, older names and variant spellings are indicated in parentheses. For certain islands, especially those visited by field parties from the Bishop Museum or those frequently mentioned in previous literature on bats, some descriptive and ecological information also is provided.
Latitude and longitude of islands are from publication no. 881 of the Hydrographic Office of the United States Navy Department (Anonymous, 1944); names of islands were checked against a list by Brigham (1900); descriptive information mostly is from reports by Temple and Straatmann (1964, field notes, at the Department of Entomology, Bishop Museum).
ALU.—7° 07' S, 155° 54' E.BANIKA.—9° 05' S, 155° 13' E.BARA (Gera).—9° 31' S, 160° 31' E.BELLONA (Bello).—11° 18' S, 159° 48' E.BOUGAINVILLE (Mamamolimo).—6° 12' S, 155° 15' E. This is the largest island in the Solomon Group, being 127 miles long (northwest to southeast) and about 59 miles across at the widest place. The highest elevations are 9850 and 10171 feet, at the tops of active volcanoes. Ecologically, Bougainville is mostly dense rain forest, which is less dense on the summits of higher mountains.BUKA.—5° 15' S, 154° 38' E.CHOISEUL.—7° 04' S, 157° 01' E. This island, formed along a northwest-southeast line of low mountains (maximum elevation of 3500 feet), is about 90 miles long and 20 miles wide. Most collecting was at Malangona (Sasamunga on some maps) on the southwestern coast.FAURO.—6° 55' S, 156° 07' E. This small island, about 14 miles long (north-south) and six miles wide (east-west), lies about 10 miles south and east of Bougainville. Fauro is formed around a volcanic cone having a maximum elevation of 1925 feet; it has considerable dense mangrove swamp along the west coast, and mature rain forest with little understory growth. Most collecting was at Toumoa, on one of two southern peninsulas.FLORIDA (Nggela).—9° 05' S, 160° 16' E. Florida, the main island in the Nggela Island Subgroup, is mountainous and except for some small grassy areas, supports dense rain forest. It is nearly 25 miles long (east-west) andnine miles wide (north-south), with a maximum elevation, at Mount Barnett, of about 1366 feet. Most collecting was at Haleta, on the southwestern coast. At this locality there were scattered mangrove swamps, rain forest, and gardens inland.GANONGGA (Ronogo, Ronongo).—8° 03' S, 156° 35' E.GATUKAI.—8° 47' S, 158° 12' E.GHIZO (Gizo, Keso).—8° 05' S, 156° 59' E.GOWER (N'dai).—7° 54' S, 160° 34' E.GUADALCANAL (Guadalcanar).—9° 15' S, 159° 35' E. Guadalcanal is mostly of volcanic origin and has an irregular chain of mountains along the southern coast. The highest elevation is 8005 feet at Mount Popomanasiu. This large island is nearly 80 miles long (east-west) and 25 miles wide (north-south). Most of the northwestern part of Guadalcanal supportsalang-alanggrass. The remainder of the island is heavily wooded.KILINAILAU (Cartaret).—4° 44' S, 155° 28' E.KOLOMBANGARA (Duki, Kulambangara).—8° 00' S, 157° 05' E. Kolombangara, formed from an extinct volcano, is about 18 miles in diameter and nearly circular. The highest peaks, rising as precipitous cliffs in some places, reach a maximum elevation of about 5000 feet. The vegetation is mostly virgin rain forest. Mangrove swamp and small coconut groves occur along the coast. Field parties from the Bishop Museum were able to reach the highest elevations, and concentrated their work along the southwestern side of the island.
ALU.—7° 07' S, 155° 54' E.
BANIKA.—9° 05' S, 155° 13' E.
BARA (Gera).—9° 31' S, 160° 31' E.
BELLONA (Bello).—11° 18' S, 159° 48' E.
BOUGAINVILLE (Mamamolimo).—6° 12' S, 155° 15' E. This is the largest island in the Solomon Group, being 127 miles long (northwest to southeast) and about 59 miles across at the widest place. The highest elevations are 9850 and 10171 feet, at the tops of active volcanoes. Ecologically, Bougainville is mostly dense rain forest, which is less dense on the summits of higher mountains.
BUKA.—5° 15' S, 154° 38' E.
CHOISEUL.—7° 04' S, 157° 01' E. This island, formed along a northwest-southeast line of low mountains (maximum elevation of 3500 feet), is about 90 miles long and 20 miles wide. Most collecting was at Malangona (Sasamunga on some maps) on the southwestern coast.
FAURO.—6° 55' S, 156° 07' E. This small island, about 14 miles long (north-south) and six miles wide (east-west), lies about 10 miles south and east of Bougainville. Fauro is formed around a volcanic cone having a maximum elevation of 1925 feet; it has considerable dense mangrove swamp along the west coast, and mature rain forest with little understory growth. Most collecting was at Toumoa, on one of two southern peninsulas.
FLORIDA (Nggela).—9° 05' S, 160° 16' E. Florida, the main island in the Nggela Island Subgroup, is mountainous and except for some small grassy areas, supports dense rain forest. It is nearly 25 miles long (east-west) andnine miles wide (north-south), with a maximum elevation, at Mount Barnett, of about 1366 feet. Most collecting was at Haleta, on the southwestern coast. At this locality there were scattered mangrove swamps, rain forest, and gardens inland.
GANONGGA (Ronogo, Ronongo).—8° 03' S, 156° 35' E.
GATUKAI.—8° 47' S, 158° 12' E.
GHIZO (Gizo, Keso).—8° 05' S, 156° 59' E.
GOWER (N'dai).—7° 54' S, 160° 34' E.
GUADALCANAL (Guadalcanar).—9° 15' S, 159° 35' E. Guadalcanal is mostly of volcanic origin and has an irregular chain of mountains along the southern coast. The highest elevation is 8005 feet at Mount Popomanasiu. This large island is nearly 80 miles long (east-west) and 25 miles wide (north-south). Most of the northwestern part of Guadalcanal supportsalang-alanggrass. The remainder of the island is heavily wooded.
KILINAILAU (Cartaret).—4° 44' S, 155° 28' E.
KOLOMBANGARA (Duki, Kulambangara).—8° 00' S, 157° 05' E. Kolombangara, formed from an extinct volcano, is about 18 miles in diameter and nearly circular. The highest peaks, rising as precipitous cliffs in some places, reach a maximum elevation of about 5000 feet. The vegetation is mostly virgin rain forest. Mangrove swamp and small coconut groves occur along the coast. Field parties from the Bishop Museum were able to reach the highest elevations, and concentrated their work along the southwestern side of the island.
Fig. 2.Solomon Islands. Principal islands are named.
Fig. 2.Solomon Islands. Principal islands are named.
MALAITA (Mala, Malanta, Malayta).—9° 00' S, 161° 00' E. This long (104 miles northwest to southeast), narrow (about 23 miles at its widest spot) island, between Santa Ysabel and San Cristobal islands, is basically of volcanic origin with some limestone (coral) deposits along the coast. Mount Kolovrat,having an elevation of 4275 feet, is the highest point. The Bishop Museum field party lived at Dala, in dense rain forest about 12 miles north of Auki on the northwestern coast of Malaita.MALAPA.—9° 49' S, 160° 53' E.MONO (Treasury).—7° 22' S, 155° 35' E. This is a small island (maximum elevation 1150 feet) in the Treasury Island Subgroup just south of Bougainville. Mono is about nine miles long (east-west) and five and one half miles wide (north-south). The basic volcanic core is described in field notes as topped with coral limestone.NEW GEORGIA (Kausagi).—8° 20' S, 157° 30' E. The New Georgia Subgroup is composed of 11 moderate-sized islands and islets. New Georgia Island, the main member of the subgroup, is 50 miles long (northwest to southeast) and from five to 30 miles wide. On the northern side several volcanic peaks attain an elevation of about 3000 feet. The entire island is forested.NGGELA (Florida Islands).—4° 31' S, 154° 11' E. This subgroup consists of several small to medium-sized islands between Guadalcanal and Malaita. Florida is the main island.NISSAN (Green, Sir Charles Hardy's).—4° 31' S, 154° 11' E.NUKUMANU (Le Maira, Tasman).—4° 32' S, 159° 25' E.ONTONG JAVA (Lord Howe Atoll, Liuniuwu).—5° 25' S, 159° 30' E.PAVUVO.—9° 04' S, 159° 08' E.RAMOS.—8° 16' S, 160° 11' E.RENNELL.—11° 38' S, 160° 14' E. This island, of limestone (coral) origin, along with Bellona, is nearly 100 miles southwest of any other member of the Solomons and has been regarded, because of this distance, as an oceanic island instead of a continental island. It is about 50 miles long (east-west) and nine miles wide (north-south); its highest elevation is 500 feet.ROVIANA (Rendova, Rovianna, Rubiana).—8° 21' S, 157° 20' E.RUSSELL.—9° 04' S, 159° 12' E.SAN CRISTOBAL (San Christoval, Bauro, Makira, Arussi).—11° 33' S, 161° 43' E. This island is composed mostly of ancient volcanic rock, has a maximum elevation of 4100 feet, is nearly 70 miles long (northwest to southeast) and 24 miles wide, and supports a dense rain forest.SANTA YSABEL (George, Ysabel, San Isabel, Isbel, Mahaga).—8° 00' S, 159° 07' E. Santa Ysabel is a long (90 miles from northwest to southeast), narrow (19 miles at the widest spot), forested island, consisting of a single chain of volcanic mountains. The numerous bays and mouths of rivers provide excellent anchorages. Collecting was at Tatamba approximately two miles south of Tanambuli where the considerable area of forest was dense and bamboo thickets were abundant.SAVO (Savu).—9° 08' S, 159° 49' E.SHORTLAND.—7° 03' S, 155° 47' E.SIKAIANA (Stewart).—8° 22' S, 162° 44' E.SIMBO (Narovo, Naorovo, Naravo, Navoro, Sembo).—8° 16' S, 156° 31' E.STIRLING.—7° 25' S, 155° 35' E.TANABULI (Tanambuli, Tunnibili, Tunnibilis, Tunnibul, Tunnivula).—8° 24' S, 159° 35' E.TAUU (Marqueen, Mortlock).—4° 48' S, 157° 32' E.TELIPARI.—8° 15' S, 157° 32' E.UGI.—10° 14' S, 161° 44' E.VANGUNO (Vangunu).—8° 39' S, 158° 00' E.VELLA LAVELLA.—7° 43' S, 156° 40' E. The coastline is rugged and indented by numerous small bays. Some peaks are 3000 feet high. The southeastern half of Vella Lavella is said to consist of uplifted coral, and to be thickly planted to coconut palms. The native population is concentrated here.The northwestern half of the island is rain forest and is nearly uninhabited. Most of the collecting was at Pusisama, on the southern beach and on Ulo Crater, an extinct volcano at the middle of the island.YANNTA.—10° 20' S, 161° 20' E.
MALAITA (Mala, Malanta, Malayta).—9° 00' S, 161° 00' E. This long (104 miles northwest to southeast), narrow (about 23 miles at its widest spot) island, between Santa Ysabel and San Cristobal islands, is basically of volcanic origin with some limestone (coral) deposits along the coast. Mount Kolovrat,having an elevation of 4275 feet, is the highest point. The Bishop Museum field party lived at Dala, in dense rain forest about 12 miles north of Auki on the northwestern coast of Malaita.
MALAPA.—9° 49' S, 160° 53' E.
MONO (Treasury).—7° 22' S, 155° 35' E. This is a small island (maximum elevation 1150 feet) in the Treasury Island Subgroup just south of Bougainville. Mono is about nine miles long (east-west) and five and one half miles wide (north-south). The basic volcanic core is described in field notes as topped with coral limestone.
NEW GEORGIA (Kausagi).—8° 20' S, 157° 30' E. The New Georgia Subgroup is composed of 11 moderate-sized islands and islets. New Georgia Island, the main member of the subgroup, is 50 miles long (northwest to southeast) and from five to 30 miles wide. On the northern side several volcanic peaks attain an elevation of about 3000 feet. The entire island is forested.
NGGELA (Florida Islands).—4° 31' S, 154° 11' E. This subgroup consists of several small to medium-sized islands between Guadalcanal and Malaita. Florida is the main island.
NISSAN (Green, Sir Charles Hardy's).—4° 31' S, 154° 11' E.
NUKUMANU (Le Maira, Tasman).—4° 32' S, 159° 25' E.
ONTONG JAVA (Lord Howe Atoll, Liuniuwu).—5° 25' S, 159° 30' E.
PAVUVO.—9° 04' S, 159° 08' E.
RAMOS.—8° 16' S, 160° 11' E.
RENNELL.—11° 38' S, 160° 14' E. This island, of limestone (coral) origin, along with Bellona, is nearly 100 miles southwest of any other member of the Solomons and has been regarded, because of this distance, as an oceanic island instead of a continental island. It is about 50 miles long (east-west) and nine miles wide (north-south); its highest elevation is 500 feet.
ROVIANA (Rendova, Rovianna, Rubiana).—8° 21' S, 157° 20' E.
RUSSELL.—9° 04' S, 159° 12' E.
SAN CRISTOBAL (San Christoval, Bauro, Makira, Arussi).—11° 33' S, 161° 43' E. This island is composed mostly of ancient volcanic rock, has a maximum elevation of 4100 feet, is nearly 70 miles long (northwest to southeast) and 24 miles wide, and supports a dense rain forest.
SANTA YSABEL (George, Ysabel, San Isabel, Isbel, Mahaga).—8° 00' S, 159° 07' E. Santa Ysabel is a long (90 miles from northwest to southeast), narrow (19 miles at the widest spot), forested island, consisting of a single chain of volcanic mountains. The numerous bays and mouths of rivers provide excellent anchorages. Collecting was at Tatamba approximately two miles south of Tanambuli where the considerable area of forest was dense and bamboo thickets were abundant.
SAVO (Savu).—9° 08' S, 159° 49' E.
SHORTLAND.—7° 03' S, 155° 47' E.
SIKAIANA (Stewart).—8° 22' S, 162° 44' E.
SIMBO (Narovo, Naorovo, Naravo, Navoro, Sembo).—8° 16' S, 156° 31' E.
STIRLING.—7° 25' S, 155° 35' E.
TANABULI (Tanambuli, Tunnibili, Tunnibilis, Tunnibul, Tunnivula).—8° 24' S, 159° 35' E.
TAUU (Marqueen, Mortlock).—4° 48' S, 157° 32' E.
TELIPARI.—8° 15' S, 157° 32' E.
UGI.—10° 14' S, 161° 44' E.
VANGUNO (Vangunu).—8° 39' S, 158° 00' E.
VELLA LAVELLA.—7° 43' S, 156° 40' E. The coastline is rugged and indented by numerous small bays. Some peaks are 3000 feet high. The southeastern half of Vella Lavella is said to consist of uplifted coral, and to be thickly planted to coconut palms. The native population is concentrated here.The northwestern half of the island is rain forest and is nearly uninhabited. Most of the collecting was at Pusisama, on the southern beach and on Ulo Crater, an extinct volcano at the middle of the island.
YANNTA.—10° 20' S, 161° 20' E.
The phylogenetic arrangement and nomenclature in the text beyond are mainly that of Laurie and Hill (1954). The synonymies for accounts of genera are as follows: (1) first use of the generic name employed along with the original description, and (2) original proposals, in chronological order, of other generic names subsequently applied to the bat in the Solomons. The synonymies in accounts of species and subspecies are as follows: (1) first use of the accepted name, followed by its type locality, followed, in chronological order, by other references to the first name-combination, (2) first use of the name-combination employed herein (if different from the original combination), followed, in chronological order, by other references to the present name-combination, and (3) other name-combinations, in chronological order, employed for the bat in the Solomons. The word "part" is used in parentheses after a name if some specimens listed under that name are from the Solomon Islands and are referable to the species or subspecies being written about.Unless noted otherwise, specimens listed as examined were prepared originally as museum skins with skulls. Approximately 70 per cent of bats collected in the Solomons were preserved in formalin and now are stored in alcohol. Because it was necessary to obtain dimensions and examine various morphological characteristics of skulls, many crania were extracted from bats preserved in alcohol.Although all specimens in the Bishop Museum from the Solomon Islands have been catalogued with the prefix BBM-BSIP, catalogue numbers without prefixes in the lists of specimens examined refer to this museum. Catalogue numbers with the prefix USNM refer to specimens in the U. S. National Museum and those with the prefix AM-M refer to specimens in the Australian Museum.Unless indicated otherwise, all measurements in this paper are in millimeters and are of adults. Cranial measurements, and external measurements of specimens stored in alcohol, were taken by me. The cranial measurements were taken with dial calipers using techniques described by Hall (1946:672-685). External measurements (except length of forearm) of specimens originally prepared as dried study skins, were transcribed from specimen labels.Capitalized color nomenclature is from Ridgway (1912). Noncapitalized color terms are from published reports that did not use Ridgway's terminology.
The phylogenetic arrangement and nomenclature in the text beyond are mainly that of Laurie and Hill (1954). The synonymies for accounts of genera are as follows: (1) first use of the generic name employed along with the original description, and (2) original proposals, in chronological order, of other generic names subsequently applied to the bat in the Solomons. The synonymies in accounts of species and subspecies are as follows: (1) first use of the accepted name, followed by its type locality, followed, in chronological order, by other references to the first name-combination, (2) first use of the name-combination employed herein (if different from the original combination), followed, in chronological order, by other references to the present name-combination, and (3) other name-combinations, in chronological order, employed for the bat in the Solomons. The word "part" is used in parentheses after a name if some specimens listed under that name are from the Solomon Islands and are referable to the species or subspecies being written about.
Unless noted otherwise, specimens listed as examined were prepared originally as museum skins with skulls. Approximately 70 per cent of bats collected in the Solomons were preserved in formalin and now are stored in alcohol. Because it was necessary to obtain dimensions and examine various morphological characteristics of skulls, many crania were extracted from bats preserved in alcohol.
Although all specimens in the Bishop Museum from the Solomon Islands have been catalogued with the prefix BBM-BSIP, catalogue numbers without prefixes in the lists of specimens examined refer to this museum. Catalogue numbers with the prefix USNM refer to specimens in the U. S. National Museum and those with the prefix AM-M refer to specimens in the Australian Museum.
Unless indicated otherwise, all measurements in this paper are in millimeters and are of adults. Cranial measurements, and external measurements of specimens stored in alcohol, were taken by me. The cranial measurements were taken with dial calipers using techniques described by Hall (1946:672-685). External measurements (except length of forearm) of specimens originally prepared as dried study skins, were transcribed from specimen labels.
Capitalized color nomenclature is from Ridgway (1912). Noncapitalized color terms are from published reports that did not use Ridgway's terminology.
Financial support for this investigation was from (1) a United States Army Medical Research and Development Command grant (DA-MD-49-193-62-G65) to the Entomology Department of the Bernice P. Bishop Museum, and (2) a National Science Foundation grant (2185-4703) to the author, through the Committee on Systematics and Evolutionary Biology of The University of Kansas. I am grateful to many individuals who have helped me in various ways throughout the course of this study. Dr. J. Linsley Gressitt, Chairman of the Entomology Department, Bernice Bishop Museum, allowed me to study specimens collected by his expeditions; Professors E. Raymond Hall and J. Knox Jones, Jr., of the Museum of Natural History and the Department of Zoology, The University of Kansas, offered advice and guidance and constructivelyreviewed the manuscript. Other persons who have given me assistance and, in some cases, arranged for loans of comparative materials, are: Dr. David H. Johnson, Division of Mammals, United States National Museum; Mr. Hobart M. Van Deusen and Dr. Richard G. Van Gelder, Archbold Expeditions and Department of Mammalogy, American Museum of Natural History; Messrs. Ellis LeG. Troughton and Basil Marlow, Mammal Department, The Australian Museum; Dr. Joseph Curtis Moore, Department of Mammalogy, Field Museum of Natural History; Mr. John Edwards Hill, Mammal Room, British Museum (Natural History); Prof. William B. Davis, Department of Zoology, Texas A & M University; Miss Barbara Lawrence, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University. Messrs. Jerry R. Choate and H. H. Genoways, two colleagues in zoology at The University of Kansas, have assisted me in many ways, for which I am grateful. Linda Anne Phillips, my wife, prepared many of the figures and tables used herein. I thank also Setsuko Nakata, Edwin H. Bryan, Robert Bowan, and Ilse Koehler, who, as staff members of the Bishop Museum, were especially helpful to me. Most of the specimens reported herein were collected by Philip Temple and Peter Shanahan.
Financial support for this investigation was from (1) a United States Army Medical Research and Development Command grant (DA-MD-49-193-62-G65) to the Entomology Department of the Bernice P. Bishop Museum, and (2) a National Science Foundation grant (2185-4703) to the author, through the Committee on Systematics and Evolutionary Biology of The University of Kansas. I am grateful to many individuals who have helped me in various ways throughout the course of this study. Dr. J. Linsley Gressitt, Chairman of the Entomology Department, Bernice Bishop Museum, allowed me to study specimens collected by his expeditions; Professors E. Raymond Hall and J. Knox Jones, Jr., of the Museum of Natural History and the Department of Zoology, The University of Kansas, offered advice and guidance and constructivelyreviewed the manuscript. Other persons who have given me assistance and, in some cases, arranged for loans of comparative materials, are: Dr. David H. Johnson, Division of Mammals, United States National Museum; Mr. Hobart M. Van Deusen and Dr. Richard G. Van Gelder, Archbold Expeditions and Department of Mammalogy, American Museum of Natural History; Messrs. Ellis LeG. Troughton and Basil Marlow, Mammal Department, The Australian Museum; Dr. Joseph Curtis Moore, Department of Mammalogy, Field Museum of Natural History; Mr. John Edwards Hill, Mammal Room, British Museum (Natural History); Prof. William B. Davis, Department of Zoology, Texas A & M University; Miss Barbara Lawrence, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University. Messrs. Jerry R. Choate and H. H. Genoways, two colleagues in zoology at The University of Kansas, have assisted me in many ways, for which I am grateful. Linda Anne Phillips, my wife, prepared many of the figures and tables used herein. I thank also Setsuko Nakata, Edwin H. Bryan, Robert Bowan, and Ilse Koehler, who, as staff members of the Bishop Museum, were especially helpful to me. Most of the specimens reported herein were collected by Philip Temple and Peter Shanahan.
Family PTEROPODIDAE
Subfamily Pteropodinae
Rousettus Gray
1821.RousettusGray, London Medical Repository, 15:299, April 1.
1843.XantharpyiaGray, List of species ... British Museum, p. 37.
1852.CynonycterisPeters, Reise nach Mossambique, p. 25.
The genusRousettusoccurs throughout the tropical regions of the Old World, and in the Solomons is readily distinguished from all other megachiropteran genera by having both a small claw on the second digit and free caudal vertebrae. The oriental species have been divided into two groups on the basis of size (Tate, 1942:344). The subspeciesRousettus amplexicaudatus hedigeriappears to be the sole representative of this genus in the SolomonIslands. Prior to 1953, several workers (Thomas, 1887b:323, 1888b:475; Matschie, 1899:68; Sanborn, 1931:11) used the nameRousettus amplexicaudatus brachyotisfor it, but Pohle (1953) suggested that the specimens from the Solomons recorded by earlier workers wereR. a. hedigerinamed by him on the basis of the specimen that he saw from Bougainville.
Rousettus amplexicaudatus
Rousettus amplexicaudatushas at least three subspecies, one of which is endemic to the Solomon Islands. The species is wide-ranging, being known from as far west as Thailand (Ellerman and Morrison-Scott, 1966:93) and as far east as the Solomons.
Fig. 3.Distribution ofRousettus amplexicaudatus hedigeri. For names of islands seeFig. 2.
Fig. 3.Distribution ofRousettus amplexicaudatus hedigeri. For names of islands seeFig. 2.
Rousettus amplexicaudatus hedigeriPohle
1953.Rousettus amplexicaudatus hedigeriPohle, Z. Säugetierk., 17:127, October 27, type from Bougainville.
1887.Cynonycteris brachyotis, Thomas, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, p. 323, March 15; 1888, Thomas, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, p. 475, December 4, from Fauro.
1889.Xantharpyia brachyotis, Matschie, Die Megachiroptera ... naturkunde, p. 68, from Guadalcanal.
1912.Rousettus brachyotis, Andersen, Catalogue of the Chiroptera ... British Museum, 1:809; 1931, Sanborn, Publ. Field Mus. Nat. Hist., Zool. Ser., 18:11, February 12, from Santa Ysabel.
Specimens examined(20 males and 21 females; all in alcohol; ten crania extracted and cleaned).—Guadalcanal in May, 23863, 23915; Fauro in April, 23804-5; Malaita in June, 24079; Choiseul in March, 23563-4, 23616, 23627, 23630, 23632-3, 23642, 23658, 23663-4, 23680, 23692-3, 23713, 23722; Kolombangara in January and February, 23343, 23366, 23382-4, 23389-90, 23408-9, 23424, 23455, 23471-4, 23501.Measurements.—Average and extreme external measurements of 13 males and 18 females are, respectively, as follows: Length of head and body, 104.4 (99-118), 108.6 (104-117); tail vertebrae, 16.8 (13-19), 17.6 (15-24); hind foot, 18.0 (16-19), 16.2 (12-18); ear, 15.9 (15-17), 15.0 (14-16); length of forearm, 70.1 (66.0-74.1), 68.1 (65.0-69.1). Average and extreme measurements of skulls of five males and five females are, respectively, as follows: Greatest length of skull, 33.2 (33.0-33.7), 31.5 (30.9-32.1); condylobasal length, 31.3 (30.9-31.9), 30.1 (29.3-30.8); palatal length, 14.0 (13.3-14.8), 13.3 (13.0-13.7); zygomatic breadth, 20.8 (19.8-21.8), 19.4 (18.7-20.8); length of maxillary tooth-row, 11.0 (10.9-11.3), 10.3 (10.1-10.6); length of mandibular tooth-row, 12.6 (12.4-12.9), 11.8 (11.7-12.2).
Specimens examined(20 males and 21 females; all in alcohol; ten crania extracted and cleaned).—Guadalcanal in May, 23863, 23915; Fauro in April, 23804-5; Malaita in June, 24079; Choiseul in March, 23563-4, 23616, 23627, 23630, 23632-3, 23642, 23658, 23663-4, 23680, 23692-3, 23713, 23722; Kolombangara in January and February, 23343, 23366, 23382-4, 23389-90, 23408-9, 23424, 23455, 23471-4, 23501.
Measurements.—Average and extreme external measurements of 13 males and 18 females are, respectively, as follows: Length of head and body, 104.4 (99-118), 108.6 (104-117); tail vertebrae, 16.8 (13-19), 17.6 (15-24); hind foot, 18.0 (16-19), 16.2 (12-18); ear, 15.9 (15-17), 15.0 (14-16); length of forearm, 70.1 (66.0-74.1), 68.1 (65.0-69.1). Average and extreme measurements of skulls of five males and five females are, respectively, as follows: Greatest length of skull, 33.2 (33.0-33.7), 31.5 (30.9-32.1); condylobasal length, 31.3 (30.9-31.9), 30.1 (29.3-30.8); palatal length, 14.0 (13.3-14.8), 13.3 (13.0-13.7); zygomatic breadth, 20.8 (19.8-21.8), 19.4 (18.7-20.8); length of maxillary tooth-row, 11.0 (10.9-11.3), 10.3 (10.1-10.6); length of mandibular tooth-row, 12.6 (12.4-12.9), 11.8 (11.7-12.2).
Remarks.—The specimens from Choiseul, Kolombangara, and Malaita islands provide new records of distribution forRousettus amplexicaudatus hedigeri(Fig. 3). It was described as smaller thanR. a. brachyotisDobson, which is known from New Guinea, Amboina, and the Bismarck Archipelago (Pohle, 1953:127-128). Andersen (1912:809) gave the range of length of forearm inR. a. brachyotisas 73-81, whereas Pohle (1953:127) gave the length of forearm of the type specimen ofR. a. hedigeri(adult male) as 67. Measurements of specimens examined by me indicate thathedigerioccurs throughout the Solomon Islands. Cranial measurements of my specimens and Pohle's type are less than those ofR. a. brachyotis(see Andersen, 1912:48).
Sanborn (1931:11) noted that the forearms of three males examined by him were longer than that of a female. Mean and range for length of forearm of males and females listed herein, respectively, are 70.1 (66.0-74.1) and 68.1 (65.0-69.1). Also, each of seven cranial measurements taken by me averaged more in males than in females. Sagittal and lambdoidal crests are more prominent in males than in females.
Table 1.A Summary of Breeding Data for Females ofRousettus amplexicaudatus hedigeriCollected December to June.
As shown inTable 1, adult females obtained in December and January were lactating when captured whereas those obtained in March, April, andJune were not. More than half of the individuals collected in March were immature (judging from small size, unfused epiphyses, and lack of wear on teeth). The immature individuals probably had been nursing in December and January.
PteralopexThomas
1888.PteralopexThomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 6, 1:155, February 1.
1762.PteropusBrisson, Regnum animale ..., ed. 2, p. 153.
Pteralopex, with one species and two subspecies, is the only megachiropteran genus endemic to the Solomons. Thomas (1888b:475) considered this unusual bat a relic, isolated from the time when pteropodids had cuspidate cheek-teeth. Although two workers (Matschie, 1899:11; Simpson, 1945:54) have synonymizedPteralopexwithPteropus, I regardPteralopexas a morphologically distinct genus.
Individuals ofPteralopexcan be distinguished from all species ofPteropusin the Solomon Islands by the following features: wing membranes originate along dorsal midline; braincase diminutive relative to rest of skull; sagittal crest pronounced; cheek-teeth cuspidate, broad and massive; i2 about 10 times larger than i1; upper canines with well-developed secondary cusp; postorbital process fused with zygomatic arch, forming complete bony ring around orbit.
Andersen (1909a:216; 1912:436) considered the relationships ofPteralopexandPteropusand concluded thatPteropus pselaphonLay, 1829, from the Sulphur Islands east of Taiwan, andPteropus samoensisPeale, 1848, from the Samoan Islands, were the "closest" living relatives ofPteralopex. He stated further thatPteralopex"presents in fact scarcely a single character which is not either developed to a certain extent or at least distinctly foreshadowed inPteropus pselaphon,pilosus,tuberculatus, orleucopterus." In summary, Andersen thought several species ofPteropushad undergone evolutionary development resembling that inPteralopex, and that the latter, with its massive, cuspidate cheek-teeth, could be considered a highly modifiedPteropus. For this hypothesis to be plausible, one must assume that the originally complex cheek-teeth of pteropodids became simple and, at least in the case ofPteralopex, secondarily became complex once again. According to present-day theory of evolutionary development, his hypothesis is improbable. Thomas (1888b:475) probably was correct when he consideredPteralopexan isolated relic.
AlthoughPteralopexusually is listed afterPteropusin phylogenetic arrangements (see, for example, Sanborn, 1931:21; Pohle, 1953:129; Laurie and Hill, 1954:40), I have placedPteralopexbeforePteropus.
Pteralopex atrata
Two subspecies ofPteralopex atrata(P. a. atrataandP. a. anceps) have been named; specimens of both are rare in museum collections. Thomas (1888a:155) described adults ofatrata. Sanborn (1931:21) examined the one additional specimen known to me and reported that it agreed with Thomas' description.
Andersen (1909b:266) used a subadult female ("nearly fully grown") as the holotype ofanceps. At least five additional specimens, all adults, ofancepsnow are housed in various collections. Judging from these individuals,the holotype ofancepswas only four-fifths grown and because he used an immature individual, Andersen's (1912:437) criteria for distinguishing the two subspecies mostly are invalid.