Abstract
The taxonomy of Rhinolophus yunanensis Dobson, 1872 (Chiroptera: Rhinolophidae) is revised by reference to specimens collected from the provinces of Sichuan and Yunnan, China, and from Thailand. The Thai specimens are found to differ from the Chinese ones in external and cranial morphology and karyotype, and it is thus concluded that what has hitherto been R. yunanensis actually represents two distinct species, including a new one. The new species is described on the basis of 10 specimens collected from Chiang Mai, Thailand. It is the largest species of the pearsoni group of the genus, with a large skull and long ears. Rhinolophus yunanensis is redescribed on the basis of specimens collected from China. In Principal Component Analyses of the cranial morphometric data, the new species was completely separated from the redescribe R. yunanensis and R. pearsoni.
Key words: new species, Rhinolophus, taxonomy, morphology, karyotype, Thailand
Rhinolophus thailandensis sp. nov.
Rhinolophus yunanensis [in partim]; Lekagul and McNeely, 1977: 154; Hill, 1986: 15; Yoshiyuki, 1990: 37; Corbet and Hill, 1992: 97; Csorba et al., 2003: 84; Simmons, 2005: 365.
Etymology: Rhinolophus thailandensis is named after the country of the type locality: ‘Thailand.’
Holotype: Adult male, KUZ-M5000 (original collector’s number 1249) from a cave, Doi Chang Kiang, Chiang Mai, Thailand, at an altitude of 1,790 m, collected on 2 February 1982 by Masashi Harada, Song sakdi Yenbutra, Preecha Nunpakdee, and Niphan Ratanawarabhan. Holotype has been preserved in alcohol, with the skull extracted, and is deposited in the Kyoto University Museum, Kyoto, Japan. Meas urements of the holotype (in mm) are as follows: FA 60.39, HB 64.56, TL 24.33, HF 14.15, Tibia 30.02, Ear 29.11, CCL 24.80, IOW 2.90, ZW 14.09, BW 11.44, MW 12.45, UCCW 7.43, UMMW 10.52, UCML 11.41, ML 19.59, and LCML 12.13.
Paratypes: Six adult males and two adult females: NSMTM28581, X; 28799, X; 28800, Y; 28801, Y; 28802, Y; 28803, Y; 28804, Y; and 28805, Y, from a cave, Doi In thanon, Chom Thong, Chiang Mai, Thailand, 18°35’N, 98°29’E, collected on 2 September 1987 by Mizuko Yoshiyuki, Preecha Luecha, Lakkhana
Distribution: Rhinolophus thailandensis currently is represented only by specimens from Chiang Mai in northern Thailand. Future comprehensive examinations of specimens referred to as ‘R. yunanensis’ from the entire distribution range, including China and Thailand, as well as northeastern India and northern Myanmar, need to be performed to correctly understand the distribution of R. thailandensis and R. yunanensis.
Wu, Y., Harada, M. and Motokawa, M. 2009. Taxonomy of Rhinolophus yunanensis Dobson, 1872 (Chiroptera: Rhinolophidae) with a description of a new species from Thailand. Acta Chiropterologica 11(2):237–246.: http://bioone.org/doi/abs/10.3161/150811009X485486
