New extension range of Nyctinomops macrotis Gray , 1840 ( Chiroptera : Molossidae ) in Southern Andes of Ecuador

This study reports a new range-distribution of Nyctinomops macrotis in the Inter-Andean Valley, Southern Ecuador. This record was done in an urban locality, placed in the inter-Andean Valley at 2,545 m, contributing to improve the knowledge of this species distribution; besides, adding the highest record as well as new locality for Ecuador.

Morphologically the species of N. macrotis is the largest member of genus, the dorsal pelage is glossy, varying from a pale reddish brown to dark brown, with bicolored hairs and the basal portion nearly white.This species has a large ears joined at the middle line, and when laid forward reach the snout, an antitragus which is higher than wide, a small and rectangular tragus, wrinkled upper lips, very deep basisphenoid pits, upper incisors parallel and separated from each other by a gap due to a long-narrowly maxillar and the third commissure of M³ (third upper molar) which is well developed and as long as the second (Gregorin, 2000;Gregorin and Taddei, 2002;Eger, 2007).On 28 October 2014, an adult male of N. macrotis we found death in the downtown of Cuenca Municipallity (2° 53' S, 79° W; 2,545 m), Southern Andes of Ecuador (Figure 1).The average temperature in Cuenca is around 15 °C, the rainy season begins in October to early May.The infrastructure in the downtown is a mosaic between old and modern buildings, there are several churches with large domes and colonial houses.
The specimen reported is big bodied with dorsal fur glossy and brownish (Figure 2A) and, the basal portion pale almost white.The ventral pelage contrast slightly with the back (Figure 2B).The upper lip is very wrinkly, the ears are large and joined at the middle line (Figure 2C, 2D, 2E).Tail is 42% of the total body length.The braincase is moderately wide and the basisphenoid pits are deep (Figure 3A, 3B).The skull is elongated and flattened, the jaw is fragile and long (Figure 3C, 3D).This specimen was deposited in The Zoology Museum of Universidad del Azuay (MZUA) under code MZUA-MA263, the sample was identified according to external and cranial morphometric measurements (Table 1).This record is the first documented for N. macrotis in the Southern Intern-Andean Valley, specifically for the Azuay Province.Thus, the present report become a new locality in the latitudinal distribution and implies a range altitudinal extension of 1,495 m in Ecuador.The geographical distance between the other records and this new locality shows, at least, the species distributed locally throughout Intern-Andes Region, although more studies is needed.

Figure 1 .
Figure 1.New locality of Nyctinomops macrotis in Ecuador.The red circle represents the new locality in Cuenca Municipallity, Intern-Andean Valley in Azuay Province (in green) from Ecuador.

Figure 2 .
Figure 2. Specimen of Nyctinomops macrotis recorded in Cuenca Municipallity, Azuay Province in the South Intern-Andean Valley from Ecuador.The views are A) dorsal view and B) ventral view.C) back head view, D) frontal head view and E) lateral head view.

Figure 3 .
Figure 3. Specimen of Nyctinomops macrotis recorded in Cuenca Municipallity, Azuay Province in the South Intern-Andean Valley from Ecuador.The views are A) Dorsal skull view; B) ventral skull view; C) lateral skull view; and D) lateral mandibular view.

Table 1 .
Main external and skull measurements of an adult male of Nyctinomops macrotis MZUA-MA263) recorded in southern inter-Andean valley, Ecuador.