Peropteryx kappleri Peters 1867

Peropteryx kappleri Peters

VOUCHER MATERIAL: 15 females (AMNH *265991, *265992, *265996, *265998, *265999, *267081, *268082, 267083, *267833, *267834; MNHN *1995.835, *1995.836, *1995.837, 1995.838, *1995.839) and 10 males (AMNH *265989, *265995, *267084, *267085, *267291, 267393, *267836; MNHN *1995.840, *1995.841, *1995.842); see table 4 for measurements.

IDENTIFICATION: Descriptions and measurements of Peropteryx kappleri were provided by Sanborn (1937), Goodwin and Greenhall (1961), Husson (1962, 1978), and Jones and Hood (1993). In the field, P. kappleri is easily confused with Cormura brevirostris, which is approximately the same size and color. However, these species can be distinguished unambiguously based on morphology of the antebrachial wing sac (illustrated by Sanborn [1937: fig. 37] and Jones and Hood [1993: fig. 1]). Two subspecies are currently recognized, of which the nominate form, P. k. kappleri, occurs thoughout northern South America, including the Guianas (Koopman, 1994). Our specimens, the first to be reported from French Guiana, conform to previous descriptions of Peropteryx kappleri and fall within the range of variation previously reported from northern South America by the authors cited above.

FIELD OBSERVATIONS: We captured 26 individuals of Peropteryx kappleri, which would appear to be a moderately common bat at Paracou despite the absence of any previous country records: 4 were taken in ground­level mistnets (3 in swampy primary forest and 1 in creekside primary forest), 5 others were taken in mistnets suspended 13– 21 m above a narrow dirt road, and the remaining 17 were captured at roosts.

We found 11 roosting groups at seven unique roost sites (three roosts were each revisited once). Most (five) roost sites were dark horizontal concavities on the undersides of fallen trees (fig. 16), but two roosts were in large hollow logs (≥ 60 cm in inside diameter). All roost sites were in well­drained primary forest and none was near water.

The roosting groups we observed (table 5) consisted of one to four individuals, with a mode of two; whereas two roosting groups each contained multiple adult females, no more than one adult male was captured per roost. In three undisturbed roosting groups that we were able to observe closely, the bats were perched well separated from one anoth­ er (four bats in one group were perched sideby­side in line but not touching). We did not observe this species to share its roosts simultaneously with other bats, although Furipterus horrens was once found roosting in a separate chamber between buttresses on the opposite side of the same fallen tree, and oth­ er emballonurid species (Cormura brevirostris and Peropteryx macrotis) previously or subsequently occupied some of the same sites where we collected Peropteryx kappleri.