in the cave, Pteronotus, Mormoops, Glossophaga, and
Artibeus, had already exited the cave by the time the
Phyllonycteris specimen was netted (Henson and
Novick 1966). At Mount Plenty Cave a male was captured
between 1 and 8 AM on 20 January in a mist net
set across the entrance of the cave and a female was
taken in the same manner between 9 and 11 PM on 27
January (Goodwin 1970). Howe (1974) was the first
to report the capture of Phyllonycteris aphylla in foraging
areas away from caves. He captured three adult
females in a mist net on the night of 25 December
1967 between 6 and 9:30 PM. The net was set in a
clearing at the end of a service road adjacent to the
Williamfield River near Hector’s River at the extreme
eastern end of Jamaica. An adult male was taken in a
mist net in a coconut and banana plantation at this
same locality on 19 December 1975 at 11 PM.
Our largest sample of P. aphylla came from Orange
Valley where specimens were taken in nets set
around a large fustic tree (Maclura [= Chlorophora]
tinctoria) in the middle of a pasture with a nearby livestock
pond. There was no doubt that the Jamaican
flower bats were coming to feed on the ripening fruits
of the fustic tree. The first species of bat taken was
Ariteus flavescens, which began arriving in large numbers
just at dusk on the evening of 8 July. The large
numbers of Phyllonycteris began arriving about one
hour later. At the height of activity we estimated that
there were several hundred bats of these two species
and Artibeus jamaicensis feeding in the tree. Large
numbers of Monophyllus redmani also were taken and
they may well have been attracted in part by the fruits.
Pteronotus parnellii, Mormoops blainvillii, Macrotus
waterhousii, Glossophaga soricina, and Erophylla
sezekorni also were collected at the same time. At
Duanvale a single individual was netted in an orchard
of native and cultivated fruit trees, and at Bluefields an
individual was netted along a dry ravine with adjacent
native fruit trees. The conditions at the Circle B Plantation
where 12 individuals were captured included an
orchard with introduced fruit trees—mango, banana,
papaya and others—and native trees on the surrounding
steep-sided hills. At the remaining three locations
where we captured Jamaican flower bats (Flint River,
4 mi. E Runaway Bay, and Queenhythe), specimens
were taken in association with water, either rivers (the
first two places) or a large pond (the last place).
Males with testes lengths of 6 and 3 were taken
on 4 and 20 January, respectively (Goodwin 1970). A
male taken on 13 June had testes that measured 3.5 in
length. Twenty males captured between 5 to 11 July
had testes that averaged 3.8 (2-5) in length, as did five
males taken on 25-26 July 3.8 (3.5-4.5). Males taken
on 2-3 November had testes lengths of 3, 5, 5, and
5.5. Two males taken on 13 December and one taken
on 15 December had testes lengths of 2.5, 4.5, and
4.5, respectively.
A female carrying a single embryo, measuring 4
in crown-rump length, was taken at Mount Plenty Cave
on 27 January (Goodwin 1970). The only other pregnant
female recorded for this species was taken on 19
June at Riverhead Cave. The embryo measured 32.6
in crown-rump length. The remaining females for
which we have data were either lactating or evinced
no gross reproductive activity as follows (number lactating
of number examined): 10 January, 1 of 1; 4 July,
1 of 1; 5 July, 3 of 3; 9 July 2 of 14; 17 July, 0 of 1; 25
July, 1 of 2; 26 July, 3 of 9; 28 July, 0 of 2; 3 November
0 of 2; 15 December, 0 of 2; 25 December, 0 of 3
(Howe 1974). These limited reproductive data do not
fit precisely any of the patterns for bats discussed by
Wilson (1979). With gestation occurring in both January
and June and lactation occurring in January and
July, it would appear that Jamaican flower bats are
polyestrous, but whether this is an aseasonal or bimodal
pattern can not be determined at this time.
A male obtained on 20 January weighed 13.3,
one taken on 13 June weighed 19, and one taken on 19
December weighed 18.7. A lactating female captured
on 10 January weighed 20.
Three specimens listed above from Dairy Cave
as well as single specimens from Wallingford Cave,
Antrim, and St. Clair Cave were recovered from cave
deposits. The specimens from Dairy and Wallingford
caves were from the older layers of the cave and were
considered to be fossils (Koopman and Williams 1951;
Williams 1952); however, the deposit at Antrim was
considered to be only 50 to 400 years old (Koopman,
1952). It is believed that all of these specimens reached
the caves as owl pellets.
Two of the specimens collected at Orange Valley
had dental abnormalities. One male (CM 44522) is
missing the lower right m2, but pieces of the root are
still visible in the lower jaw indicating that the crown
of the tooth was lost in life. Another male (CM 44532)
is missing the right I2, i1, and i2. There is no indication
of an alveolus for the missing upper tooth, but
roots are still partially visible for the lower teeth. The
upper right I1 has been slightly displaced anteriorly.
The lower canines are heavily worn, especially the right
tooth. This abnormality appears to be the result of an
injury that resulted in malocclusion.
Genetics.—The karyotype of P. aphylla has 2n
= 32 and FN = 60 (Fig. 43). There are 30 biarmed
autosomes in a graded series from large to small. The
X is medium sized and metacentric, and the Y is minute
and acrocentric. Karyotypes were obtained from two
males and four females from 4 mi. E Runaway Bay,
six males from Orange Valley, and one male from
Bluefields.
Baker and Bass (l979) reported the karyotype of
P. aphylla to be identical to species of Glossophaga,
Monophyllus, Brachyphylla, and Erophylla based on
G- and C-band analyses. They suggested a close relationship
between the Glossophaginae and
Brachyphyllinae based on the sharing among these
genera of a karyotype considered to be highly derived.
Nagorsen and Peterson (1975) and Baker (1979) reported
the karyotype of P. obtusa to be 2n = 32 and
FN = 60; identical to that of P. aphylla presented here.
Baker et al. (2000) examined the relationships of
Erophylla sezekorni and P. aphylla to other genera of
Phyllostomidae using DNA sequence data from the
nuclear RAG 2 gene. Phyllonycteris was found to be
sister to Erophylla and a member of a clade including
the other Antillean endemic glossophagines
(Brachyphylla and Monophyllus) as well as the mainland
Glossophaga and Leptonycteris.
All info for source found by Melanie
www.nsrl.ttu.edu/personnel/RJBaker/Publications/326-Bats%20of%20Jamaica-Genoways%20et%20al-SP48-2005.pdf
(from my Photobucket album)
