Western nectar bat (Lonchophylla hesperia)

With only ten individuals having ever been studied, the western nectar bat (Lonchophylla hesperia) is a little-known, enigmatic species ⁽¹⁾. The western nectar bat has pale brown fur on the upperparts and pale brown to grey fur on the underparts ⁽³⁾. Its tail is short and the noseleaf is high and narrow ⁽²⁾.

As its name suggests, the western nectar bat feeds predominantly on nectar, and possesses a number of adaptations to this diet ⁽⁴⁾, including an elongated muzzle and a very long tongue. The tongue is covered with grooves bordered by small, hair-like protrusions ^{(2) (5)}, and wave-like muscle contractions move the nectar along the grooves, enabling the western nectar bat to feed without lapping ⁽⁶⁾.

Size

Head-body length: 45 - 65 mm ⁽²⁾

Tail length: 7 - 10 mm ⁽²⁾

Bats of the Lonchophylla genusare specialised for feeding on nectar and pollen and, as a result, play an important role in pollinating the plants they feed upon ⁽³⁾. Although other Lonchophylla batsalso consume insects and fruit ⁽³⁾, the little information available on the western nectar bat suggests that it does not eat fruit ⁽¹⁾.

Currently nothing is known about the breeding biology of this elusive bat.

The western nectar bat occurs in north-western Peru and south-western Ecuador ⁽¹⁾.

The western nectar bat has been found in dry habitats ⁽⁷⁾.

The western nectar bat is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List ⁽¹⁾.

The greatest threat to the western nectar bat is the destruction of suitable habitat, primarily due to conversion to agriculture ⁽¹⁾.

A number of protected areas in Peru are known to harbour populations of the western nectar bat ⁽¹⁾, including the National Park Cerros de Amotape ⁽⁸⁾, but there are currently no known specific measures in place for this little-known species.

Find out about bat conservation:

• Bat Conservation International:
  http://www.batcon.org/
• Bat Conservation Trust:
  http://www.bats.org.uk/

This information is awaiting authentication by a species expert, and will be updated as soon as possible. If you are able to help please contact:
arkive@wildscreen.org.uk

This species information was authored as part of the ARKive and Universities Scheme.

Genus

A category used in taxonomy, which is below ‘family’ and above ‘species’. A genus tends to contain species that have characteristics in common. The genus forms the first part of a ‘binomial’ Latin species name; the second part is the specific name.

Noseleaf

A fleshy structure that surrounds the nose, common to many bats.

Pollinating

Transferring pollen grains from the stamen (male part of a flower) to the stigma (female part of a flower) of a flowering plant. This usually leads to fertilisation, the development of seeds and, eventually, a new plant.

1. IUCN Red List (November, 2010)
   http://www.iucnredlist.org/
2. Nowak, R.M. (1999) Walker's Mammals of the World. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, Maryland.
3. Eisenberg, J.F. (1989) Mammals of the Neotropics. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
4. Dávalos, L.M. (2004) A new Choacan species of Lonchophylla (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae). AmericanMuseumNovitates, 3426: 1-14.
5. Gardner, A.L. (Ed.) (2007) Mammals of South America. The University Chicago Press, Chicago.
6. Winter, Y. and von Helverson, O. (2003) Operational tongue length in Phyllostomid nectar-feeding bats. Journal of Mammalogy, 84(2): 886-896.
7. Albuja, L.V. and Gardner, A.L. (2005) A new species Lonchophylla Thomas (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) from Ecuador. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 118(2): 442-449.
8. Aris, E., Cadenillas, R. and Pacheco, V. (2009) Dieta de murciélagos nectarívoros del Parque Nacional Cerros de Amotape, Tumbes. Revista Peruana de Biología, 16(2): 187-190.