Sumiko Matsumura

Intra- and interfamily relationships of Vespertilionidae inferred by various molecular markers including SINE insertion data

The family Vespertilionidae comprises the largest number of species in the order Chiroptera, and its members are distributed over most of the world. We collected sequences of the mitochondrial NDI (NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1) gene from 38 species as well as 20 sequences of exon28 of the vWF (von Willebrand Factor) gene and analyzed phylogenetic relationships in Vespertilionidae using maximum-likelihood analyses and SINE (short interspersed elements) insertions. Our data strongly suggest the following: (1) Murininae and Myotis, each of which is classified into different subfamilies, are monophyletic; (2) the monophyly of Murininae, Myotis, Pipistrellini, and Plecotini is supported by our analyses of the NDI and nuclear vWF as well as data from SINE insertions, while Miniopterinae was not included in this group; and (3) Rhinolophoidea (microchiroptera) is separated from all the other microchiropteran species. Our study represents the most comprehensive phylogenetic model of Vespertilionidae to date.

The status of the Japanese and East Asian bats of the genus Myotis (Vespertilionidae) based on mitochondrial sequences

The genus Myotis includes the largest number of species in the family Vespertilionidae (Chiroptera), and its members are distributed throughout most of the world. To re-evaluate the phylogenetic position of East Asian Myotis species with respect to Myotis species worldwide, we analyzed mitochondrial gene sequences of NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 and cytochrome b from 24 East Asian individuals as well as 42 vespertilionid bats determined previously. The results suggest that: (1) some individuals having the same species name in Europe and Japan do not form a monophyletic clade, indicating that some bat species exhibit morphological convergence, (2) Japanese Myotis mystacinus forms a sister relationship with Myotis brandtii (Palaearctic), and both species are included in the American clade implying that an ancestor of these species originated in North America, and (3) the Black whiskered bat, Myotis pruinosus, is endemic to Japan and forms sister relationships with Myotis yanbarensis and Myotis montivagus collected from Okinawa (Japan) and Selangor (Malaysia), respectively, implying that M. pruinosus originated from the south. The systematics of Japanese and East Asian Myotis bats were revisited by considering their phylogenetic relationships. Our study provides the first extensive phylogenetic hypothesis of the genus Myotis that includes East Asian and Japanese species.

Geographical Variation in Echolocation Call and Body Size of the Okinawan Least Horseshoe Bat, Rhinolophus pumilus (Mammalia: Rhinolophidae), on Okinawa-jima Island, Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan

Abstract The Okinawan least horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus pumilus, is a cave-dwelling species endemic to the central and southern Ryukyus, Japan. We analyzed variation in the constant frequency (CF) of the echolocation call and in forearm length (FAL) of this species on Okinawa-jima Island on the basis of data for 479 individuals from 11 caves scattered over the island. CF values in samples from six caves, all located in the southwestern half of Okinawa-jima, were significantly higher than those in samples from five caves in the northeastern half of the island. Also, FAL was significantly greater in the latter group than in the former group, although the ranges of variation in this character substantially overlapped between the two groups. These results suggest substantial differentiation between R. pumilus populations on Okinawa-jima. The implications of our findings for the conservation of this endangered bat species are briefly discussed.

Two New Species of Vespertilionid Bats, Myotis and Murina (Vespertilionidae: Chiroptera) from Yanbaru, Okinawa Island, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan

Abstract Two new species of vespertilionid bats (Vespertilionidae: Chiroptera) were described on the basis of materials collected from Yanbaru, northern part of Okinawa Island, Okinawa Pref., Japan. These are bats of genera Myotis and Murina.

Maternity Roosts and Behaviour of the Ussurian Tube-Nosed Bat Murina ussuriensis

The genus Murina has a wide geographic distribution and includes about 35 species, but very little information is available on the maternity behaviour of any of them. We conducted a preliminary study of a maternity colony of Murina ussuriensis in warm temperate rain forest of Yakushima, Japan. Day roosts of six nursing females were located by radio-telemetry. During the eight days of the study 18 maternity roost locations were confirmed. The nine roosts that were clearly visible included four types: vertically suspended clusters of dead leaves, tree hollows, a crevice in a root plate and a completely exposed site under a branch. Whenever the same female was located on successive days, she had switched from her previous roost, and none of the roosts was re-used by a radio-tagged female during the study period. The number of individuals recorded roosting together ranged from two (a mother with infant) to 22 individuals. The first emergence of an adult female occurred between 13 and 47 minutes after sunset. Mothers returned to the roost about 30 minutes after their first emergence, repeatedly hovering near the roost, landing and departing again. Some offspring left the roost independently, while non-volant offspring were carried away by an adult, presumably the mother. Various types of social calls were recorded, beginning when the first mother returned to the roost, and then almost continuously until the last individual left the roost. These preliminary results suggest that maternity colonies show very frequent roost-switching, may exhibit fission-fusion behaviour and have an extensive vocal repertoire.

Geographical variation in the cranial and external characters of the little tube-nosed bat, Murina silvatica in the Japanese archipelago

The distribution ofMurina silvatica (Yoshiyuki, 1983) in the Japanese archipelago extends over about 2000 km from north to south. Specimens were obtained from populations in Hokkaido and Yakushima, which are at the northern and southern ends of the range, and from two intermediate locations in Honshu. Measurements of cranial and external morphology were examined for evidence of geographical variation. The results of both multivariate analysis of variance and cluster analysis showed that there was no distinct cline in skull morphology among the Hokkaido, Tohoku and Chubu populations. However, the results of multivariate analysis of variance showed that all measures were significantly greater for the Yakushima population than for the others. Similarly, in a dendrogram of cluster analysis, the Yakushima population formed a cluster that was distinct from the other populations. However, as the difference between the Yakushima population and the other populations was less than the variation found within the Hokkaido, Tohoku and Chubu populations, morphological divergence of the Yakushima population was attributable to intraspecific variation. The island of Yakushima is the most isolated of the four locations and the morphological divergence of this population may be associated with its relative geographic isolation.

Ecology and Monogamous System of the Painted Woolly Bat Kerivoula picta in Khon Kaen, Thailand

Abstract. Day-roost usage, nocturnal activity, foraging area, and social structure of the painted wooly bat, Kerivoula picta, were investigated at the village of Khon Kaen in northwest part of Thailand. The bats mainly preferred dead banana leaves as day-roosts, while leaves of sugar cane or broad-leaved trees were occasionally used. They frequently switched their day-roosts every one to four days. Families numbering three bats (adult female, adult male, and young) were found in February, June, September and October. However, such families were not found in November and December when pairs constituted 64% of the total number of captured bats. Most of the pairs roosted together in day-roosts, and did not change their partners during the survey period each year. Foraging areas between contiguous pairs did not overlap each other. Foraging areas averaged 6.1 ha for males and 5.6 ha for females. Kerivoula picta fed chiefly on relatively small-sized web-building spiders. Most of the pairs changed partner every year. The recapture rates of newly banded bats after one year averaged 20%, and the oldest ages recorded were five years for females and four years for males.

Population Dynamics and Long-term Survival of Hilgendorf's Tube-Nosed bat Murina hilgendorfi in the Akiyoshi-Dai Karst Area, Yamaguchi, Japan

Hilgendorf’s tube-nosed bat, Murina hilgendorfi (Vespertilionidae) is distributed throughout northern China, along the upper Yenisei River in Mongolia and Russia, in the Altai Mountains of Central Asia, in the Primorye Territory, on Sakhalin Island in Russia, and in Korea and Japan (Kawai 2009). In Japan, only one or a few individuals are typically observed at roosting sites (Kawai 2009). Interestingly, only two roosting sites found in July 1958 and 2006 have been confirmed as nursery roosts of M. hilgendorfi (Kuroko 1958; Sato and Katsuta 2007); a tree canopy on Mt Hiko in Kyushu and a tunnel in the vicinity of the Tenryu River in central Honshu. According to recent reports of seasonal fluctuations in the population of this species in Shiga and Osaka prefectures (Abe and Maeda 2004; Harada 2011; Urano 2011), the bats congregate in caves or a shelter from November to the following June, but the bats are generally absent from these roosting sites from July to October, although a few individuals have occasionally been observed at the roosting sites during this time. Our previous banding surveys revealed that M. hilgendorfi roosts in several caves in the Akiyoshi-dai karst area of Yamaguchi Prefecture in Western Honshu from January until June (Matsumura et al. 2005), and that the number of individuals in the caves increases during April and May (Matsumura et al. 2005; Hashimoto and Matsumura 2008). Before these surveys, bat banding studies on M. hilgendorfi population dynamics had been conducted in caves in the Akiyoshi-dai karst area from 1972 to 1997 (Kuramoto et al. 1975, 1998). However, despite the long-term nature of those surveys, no nursery colonies were found in the caves of the areas surveyed. In addition, no direct evidence of the reproductive status of the few bats that were found in the caves from early spring to late summer was reported (Kuramoto et al. 1998). Although several reports have recently been published on the seasonal changes in cave usage as an ecological trait of M. hilgendorfi (Abe and Maeda 2004; Harada 2011; Urano 2011), no studies have specifically examined the life span of this species. To clarify the population dynamics of M. hilgendorfi in the caves of the Akiyoshi-dai karst area, we therefore examined the long-term movements of these bats from March 2002 to April 2011 using bat banding.