Rhinolophus mabuensis Peter J. Taylor & Samantha Stoffberg & Ara Monadjem & Martinus Corrie Schoeman & Julian Baylis & Fenton P. D. Cotterill 2012, new species

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences (Life Sciences)

Rhinolophus mabuensis new species urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: C205928E-D72C-40D5-9647FDC9391CB1A6 Mount Mabu Horseshoe Bat Fig. 4, 4, Fig. S1, Table 3, 4, Table S1, Appendix S1 Holotype. DM 10842; adult male, alcohol skin, skull and prepared baculum, collected by M. Curran and M. Kopp, 13 October 2008. Type locality. Mt Mabu, northern Mozambique, 16 ° 17 ' 2 " S; 36 ° 23 ' 53 " E; elevation 1043 m asl. Diagnosis. Peak frequency of 37.5 and 37.9 kHz for two animals captured and released in sub-montane and montane forests at 550 m and 1000 m respectively on Mt Mabu (Curran and Kopp, personal communication). The echolocation call frequencies of the holotype from Mt Mabu and the paratype from Mt Inago were not measured. Body, cranium and noseleaf very large (FL 66.1 mm in holotype, 69.0 in paratype; GSL 29.7 mm in holotype; 30.3 mm in paratype; CCL 25.2 mm in holotype, 25.9 mm in paratype; NLW 15.0 mm in holotype, 15.3 mm in paratype; Table 5); size and position of anterior upper premolar variable; either relatively largeand situated partially within the toothrow, with gap between canine and posterior premolar (paratype) or small and located external to the toothrow (holotype). Much larger than all other members of the R. hildebrandtii complex, except for R. cohenae from which mabuensis can be distinguished by echolocation frequency (33 kHz in R. cohenae; ca 38 kHz in R. mabuensis) and baculum shape (Type 2 in mabuensis; Type 1 in cohenae; Fig. 9). Genotypes of R. mabuensis are members of Clade 1b (Fig. 2). Paratype. DM 11485 (adult female, alcohol skin and skull, collected J. Bayliss on 5 September 2009 from Mt Inago). Description. External and noseleaf description and colour similar to R. hildebrandtii s.s., but larger in skull and external dimensions (see above). Lower lip with single mental groove. Noseleaf shape variable with profile of connecting process forming a continuous arch as typical for R. hildebrandtii [12] in the individual from Mt Inago, but highly distinctive in the Mt Mabu specimen, representing a small rounded bump (Fig. 8). The robust skull is reflected in the large means recorded for most cranial dimensions (Table 5). In lateral view the skull has a prominent rostral chamber which extends to the same height as the relatively weak sagittal crest. In dorsal view the V-shaped inter-orbital basin (frontal depression [12]) formed by the supraorbital ridges is very prominent and deep, and the anterior root of the sagittal crest is displaced posteriorly. Distribution. Known only from two mountains in northern Mozambique but quite possibly extending to nearby Mts. Namuli, Chiperone, Mulanje and the Malawi Rift. Ecology. All known specimens were associated with montane or sub-montane forest on the two mountains where they were collected. Etymology. We selected the specific epithet to draw attention to the serious threats to the unique biodiversity isolated on the montane forest islands in northern Mozambique – notably Mts Mabu and Inago. None of these landforms lie within formally protected areas, and all are undergoing major habitat degradation and destruction from ever-increasing human activities - hunting, fires, timber harvesting and expanding agriculture [22]. The conservation status of this threatened biodiversity on Mts Mabu and Inago is highlighted by R. mabuensis, alongside recently discovered species of butterflies, crabs, snakes and chameleons [22;115,116,117,118]. Specimens examined. See Table S1.