Systematics of Megachiropteran Bats in the Solomon Islands

by Carleton J. Phillips

1899. Pteropus (Pteralopex) atrata, Matschie, Die Megachiroptera ... naturkunde, p. 11; 1904, Trouessart, Catalogus Mammalium ..., Suppl., p. 49.

Specimens examined.—None.

Remarks.—Pteralopex atrata atrata is known from four specimens from Guadalcanal and one from Santa Ysabel (Sanborn, 1931:21).

Sanborn (loc. cit.) reported that a specimen wounded at night, while feeding on young green coconuts, was the only fruit bat that attempted to attack the collectors. Troughton (1936:348) has suggested, on the basis of his experiences with Pteropus, that this behavior probably was a reaction from fear rather than an indication of general aggressiveness on the part of Pteralopex.

Pteralopex atrata anceps Andersen

1909. Pteralopex anceps Andersen, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 8, 3:266, March, type from Bougainville; 1912, Andersen, Catalogue of the Chiroptera ... British Museum, 1:437; 1936, Troughton, Rec. Australian Mus., 14:348, April 7; 1953, Pohle, Z. Säugetierk., 17:129, October 27.

1954. Pteralopex atrata anceps, Laurie and Hill, List of land mammals of New Guinea, Celebes and adjacent islands, p. 40, June 30.

Specimens examined (three males, two females; one skull-only and one in alcohol).—Choiseul in March, 23682; Bougainville in July, USNM 276973-74, USNM 276928, USNM 277112.

Measurements.—Measurements of three males and one female are, respectively, as follows: Length of head and body, 280, 271, 261, 255; hind foot, 50, 54, 52, 59; ear, 23, 23, 26, 22; length of forearm, 160, 162, 166, 171; greatest length of skull, 77.6, 77.9, 78.9, 77.0; condylobasal length, 74.3, 74.3, 75.5, 73.8; zygomatic breadth, 42.2, 45.4, 43.1, 42.6; breadth across upper canines, 18.7, 21.1, 19.0, 19.0; breadth across first upper molars, 22.2, 25.3, 22.9, 22.0; length of maxillary tooth-row, 29.3, 29.8, 28.9, 28.2; length of mandibular tooth-row, 32.8, 32.8, 32.1, 31.4.

Remarks.—Heretofore, Pteralopex atrata anceps was not known from Choiseul. The specimen from that island agrees well with specimens in the U. S. National Museum from Cape Torokina, Bougainville.