The subspecies mexicana has not been reported previously from Nicaragua, although Gardner et al. (1970:715) recently extended its known distribution southward from Honduras (Goodwin, 1942c:124) and El Salvador (Felten, 1956:180) to west-central Costa Rica. In Nicaragua, as apparently in Costa Rica, mexicana occupies the Pacific versant, the Caribbean lowlands being inhabited by the smaller race, Micronycteris megalotis microtis Miller, 1898 (type locality, Greytown, Nicaragua—reported also from "Río Coco," Nicaragua, by J. A. Allen, 1910:110). Nicaraguan examples of M. m. mexicana are, on the average, considerably larger in cranial dimensions and length of forearm than are specimens of M. m. microtis (see Table 1). The series of microtis from "Río Coco," probably from the headwaters of that stream in the vicinity of San Juan de Río Coco and thus near the divide between Caribbean and Pacific drainages, is intermediate in size between the two subspecies and suggests intergradation between them. As noted also by Gardner et al. (1970:715), we find no differences in length of ear between microtis and mexicana (contrary to Miller's claim, in the original description, that microtis had noticeably smaller ears), nor do we note any consistent differences in color between the two races on the basis of the specimens at hand.
Our specimens from Isla del Maíz Grande inexplicably agree rather closely in size (average but slightly smaller) with specimens of M. m. mexicana from western Nicaragua and elsewhere within the range of the subspecies, and are tentatively, therefore, referred to mexicana. Four specimens earlier reported (G. M. Allen, 1929:130) from the same island also are relatively large (forearm 35 mm). Further commentary on this insular population must await a time when additional material is available from Central America.
Tonatia nicaraguae Goodwin, 1942
Specimens.—Boaco: Santa Rosa, 17 km N, 15 km E Boaco, 300 m, 1. Chontales: Hato Grande, 13 km S, 8 km W Juigalpa, 60 m, 1.
Only four specimens of this seemingly rare species have been recorded previously from Nicaragua—one (the holotype) from Kanawa Creek, near Cukra, north of Bluefields, 100 ft, Zelaya (Goodwin, 1942b:205), another from 12.5 mi. S and 13 mi. E Rivas, 125 ft, Rivas (Davis and Carter, 1962:67-68), and two from 6 km N Tuma, 500 m, Matagalpa (Valdez and LaVal, 1971:248). Our specimens were caught in mist nets placed over small, quiet streams that were fringed with tall, gallery forest. The surrounding areas were savanna-like with small stands of secondary forest. An adult male taken on 21 April had testes that measured 5 mm in length, whereas those of another (9 August) were 3 mm.
Handley (1966b:761) synonymized T. nicaraguae with Tonatia minuta Goodwin, 1942, a conclusion with which we agree. However, the name nicaraguae (Goodwin, 1942b:205) has page priority over minuta Goodwin (op. cit.:206) and is the valid name for the species rather than minuta as used by Handley (see also LaVal, 1969:820; Gardner et al., 1970:716; Valdez and LaVal, 1971:248).
Measurements of the two males (that from Hato Grande listed first) are as follows: total length, 63, 60 mm; length of tail, 5, 6 mm; length of hind foot, 10, 9 mm; length of ear, 23, 23 mm; length of forearm, 34.5, 35.6 mm; weight, 11.4, 8.8 gms; greatest length of skull, 20.2, 20.5 mm; zygomatic breadth, 9.5, 9.5 mm; breadth of braincase, 8.5, 8.2 mm; postorbital breadth, 3.1, 2.9 mm; length of maxillary toothrow, 7.0, 7.1 mm; breadth across upper molars, 6.3, 6.5 mm. We have not compared our specimens directly with others from Middle America. On the basis of available measurements, they resemble material reported from Honduras (LaVal, 1969:820), averaging larger than other specimens for which measurements have been published (see especially Goodwin, 1942b:206; Davis and Carter, 1962:68; Davis et al., 1964:379; Gardner et al., 1970:716-717).
Phyllostomus hastatus panamensis J. A. Allen, 1904
Specimens.—Carazo: 3 km N, 4 km W Diriamba, 600 m, 1. Madriz: Darailí, 5 km N, 14 km E Condega, 940 m, 4. Managua: 3 km SW Tipitapa, 40 m, 1; 3 km N Sabana Grande, 50 m, 2; 2 km N Sabana Grande, 40 m, 1; 5 mi S Managua, 2. Matagalpa: La Danta, 1 km N, 5 km E Esquipulas, 760 m, 1. Nueva Segovia: 4.5 km N, 2 km E Jalapa, 630 m, 2; 1.5 km N, 1 km E Jalapa, 660 m, 1. Zelaya: Bonanza, 850 ft, 2; El Recreo, 25 m, 8.
This large spear-nosed species has been reported previously from Nicaragua only from Matagalpa (Goodwin, 1942c:126). Phyllostomus hastatus evidently occurs throughout the country and is relatively common in some places.