Update of the distribution of Lonchorhina aurita (Chiroptera), a vulnerable cave-dwelling bat in Brazil

Abstract

Lonchorhina aurita is an insectivorous cave-dwelling bat, which roosts primarily in caves, and has been reported from three (Cave Pedra Branca, Cave Janela, and Cave Raposa) of the 94 natural caves registered in Sergipe by the National Register of Speleological Information/National Center for Cave Research and Conservation.The subfamily Lonchorhininae encompasses bats that can be distinguished from other phyllostomids by the presence of an extremely well-developed nasal leaf, which is as long as the ears. This study provides an update on the distribution of this species and reports its first record in the Caatinga for the state of Sergipe, northeastern Brazil. An adult female and an adult male with no evidence of reproductive activity were captured by mist nets in the surroundings of the Xingó Hydroelectric Reservoir, a region dominated by shrubby hyper xerophilous Caatinga vegetation, at the height of the dry season. The morphometric and morphological data were consistent with those recorded for the species in other South American countries. It is important to prioritize the investigation of these sites in order to better understand the abundance and distribution of the species in Sergipe, which is classified as threatened in Brazil.