Lonchophylla robusta G. S. Miller 1912

96. Orange Nectar Bat Lonchophylla robusta French: Lonchophylle du Panama / German: Robuste Nektarfledermaus / Spanish: Loncéfilo de Panama Other common names: Big Nectar Bat Taxonomy. Lonchophylla robusta G. S. Miller, 1912, “cave on Chilibrillo River [near Alhajuela, Canal Zone], Panama.” This species is monotypic. Distribution. NW & SE Nicaragua to W & C Colombia, NW Venezuela, Ecuador, and NW Peru. Descriptive notes. Head-body 56-75 mm, tail 6:5—-12 mm, ear 9-19 mm, hindfoot 10-15 mm, forearm 39-46 mm; weight 13-16 g (non-reproductive). Males are slightly larger and heavier than females. The Orange Nectar Bat is medium-sized, with moderately elongated rostrum, butit is relatively large for a nectar-feeding leafnosed bat. Dorsal fur is often bright orange. Elongated tongue of the Lonchophyllinae is morphologically distinct from that of the other specialized nectarfeeding bats in subfamily Glossophaginae. Instead of long papillae of the latter that form a brush-tip tongue, the Lonchophyllinae tongue has deep lateral grooves overits length. Habitat. Variety of habitats in lowland tropical evergreen rainforests and also semideciduous forests, regularly at elevations up to ¢. 1000 m and rarely up to ¢. 1500 m. Food and Feeding. The Orange Nectar Batis a specialized nectarivore that readily includes also insects and fruits in its diet. As a unique mechanism but probably present throughout Lonchophyllinae,its tongue stays constantly extended during a flower visit, while nectar is pumped through lateral grooves upward into its mouth. In contrast, nectar uptake in the convergent species of Glossophaginae occurs by lapping tongue movements, and the hairy tonguetip is periodically retracted into the mouth. Large numbers of Orange Nectar Bats are occasionally seen at plants providing high resource density with locally high numbers of flowers or large nectar production per flower. Breeding. Pregnant Orange Nectar Bats were found in January-February and April in north-eastern Costa Rica. Activity patterns. In north-eastern Costa Rica, Orange Nectar Bats were regularly recorded arriving at the tree Quararibea cordata (Malvaceae) with a particularly rich nectar supply well after dark and c.1 hour later than other sympatric nectarfeeding bat species, suggesting a commute over a larger distance that might be facilitated by its relatively large body size. Similar activity patterns have been observed in Ecuadorian cloud forests. The Orange Nectar Bat seems to rely mainly on caves and cave-like anthropogenic structures for roosting; one roost was under a jumble of huge boulders along a stream. Movements, Home range and Social organization. While roosting, hanging Orange Nectar Bats huddle closely together, forming a tight ball-like cluster. Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Bibliography. Griffiths (1982), LaVal & Rodriguez-Herrera (2002), Maguina (2016), Reid (2009), Timm et al. (1989), Tschapka (1998, 2004), Tschapka et al. (2015).

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