Pteropus rayneri monoensis Lawrence
1945. Pteropus rayneri monoensis Lawrence, Proc. New England Zool. Club, 23:63, March 26, type from Mono (Treasury); 1954, Laurie and Hill, List of land mammals of New Guinea, Celebes and adjacent islands, p. 36, June 30.
Specimens examined.—None.
Remarks.—Pteropus rayneri monoensis is the most recently described subspecies of P. rayneri. Lawrence (1945:63) judged that in most ways this bat is intermediate between P. r. grandis and P. r. lavellanus. Coloration of monoensis indicates affinity with the former, whereas length of forearm (145-148) approaches that in the latter. The small skull, narrow palate, and whitish rump patch of monoensis are differences that distinguish it from grandis and lavellanus. The relatively isolated position of Mono Island may have been important in establishment of the distinctive features of this bat.
Lawrence (1945:65) quoted a collector as stating: "They [individuals of P. r. monoensis] rest quietly during the day in the tops of heavy-leaved, tall jungle trees, and start flying about dusk, looking for feeding spots. There is usually quite a flight for fifteen to twenty minutes at twilight...."
No additional specimens of this subspecies have been collected on small adjacent islands and monoensis may therefore be confined to Mono Island.
Pteropus rayneri cognatus Andersen
1908. Pteropus cognatus Andersen, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 8, 2:365, October 1, type from San Cristobal; 1912, Andersen, Catalogue of the Chiroptera ... British Museum, 1:251; 1931, Sanborn, Publ. Field Mus. Nat. Hist., Zool. Ser., 18:15, February 12, from San Cristobal and Ugi; 1954, Laurie and Hill, List of land mammals of New Guinea, Celebes and adjacent islands, p. 35, June 30.
1962. Pteropus rayneri cognatus, Hill, The natural history of Rennell Island, British Solomon Islands, 4:9, February.