Bats of Southern and Central Africa. Ara Monadjem

The combination of white patches at the base of the ears and shoulder epaulettes (males) separates Epomophorus, Epomops and Micropteropus from other fruit bats. Palatal ridges of Epomops and Micropteropus are very different from those of Epomophorus; in the latter there are six narrow ridges (five thick ridges in Micropteropus and Epomops). Epomophorus grandis can be distinguished from sympatric E. wahlbergi by its much smaller size (FA < 70 mm; in E. wahlbergi FA > 75 mm). Epomophorus grandis is the same size as E. labiatus and E. anselli, but in the last two species, the second to fourth palatal ridges are undivided (second to sixth palatal ridges divided in E. grandis).

External measurements (mm) for Epomophorus grandis, sexes combined
	Mean	Min	Max	SD	N
Mass	-	-	-	-	-
FA 1	63.6	62.3	65.8	-	3
Total 1	99.0	-	-	-	1
Tail 1	5.7	3.8	7.5	-	2
Tibia 1	28.1	27.3	28.7	-	3
Ear 1	16.9	16.0	17.5	-	3
CI	-	-	-	-	-

      ¹ Bergmans (1988)

      Echolocation call: This bat does not echolocate.

      Distribution, habitat and roosting: Epomophorus grandis is known from only four specimens collected at two localities in Angola and Congo (Bergmans 1988). It is probably more widespread than suggested by these two localities. It may occur throughout northern Angola and possibly the western DRC and Congo. The type specimen is from Dundo, northeastern Angola (FMNH 66433, Holotype).

      This species appears to be associated with a mosaic of lowland rainforest and secondary grassland (Bergmans 1988), suggesting that it will not be found to occur in primary rainforest to the north of its known range, but may occur in the Guinean–Congolian/Zambesian Transition Zone between forest and savanna to the south.

      Extralimital: Epomophorus grandis is a near-endemic to southern Africa, occurring marginally outside of it in the extreme southwest of Congo.

      Foraging ecology: There is no information on the diet or foraging behaviour of this species.

      Reproduction: No reproductive information is available.

      SYSTEMATIC NOTES

      1950.Micropteropus grandis Sanborn, Chiroptera from Dundo, Lunda, northeastern Angola. Publções cult. Co. Diam. Angola 10: 53–62.

      Epomophorus grandis was originally described as Micropteropus grandis; the other two members of that genus are much smaller, hence the epithet ‘grandis’. Ironically, it is one of the smallest members of the genus Epomophorus. Micropteropus is maintained as a distinct genus by Bergmans (1988), based on the configuration of palatal ridges: five in Micropteropus and six in Epomophorus. Furthermore, in Micropteropus, the palatal ridges are thick, with the second to the fifth deeply divided by a groove. In Epomophorus, the palatal ridges are narrow, with only the fifth and sixth marginally divided. However, in E. grandis, the palatal ridges are narrow (as is typical of Epomophorus), but the second to the sixth are divided (as in Micropteropus).

      ^{1 Bergmans (1988)}

      Epomophorus labiatus (Temminck 1837)

      Little epauletted fruit bat Least Concern

      Description: Epomophorus labiatus is a medium-sized bat with a mass of around 45–55 g; it is the smallest representative of its genus. The pelage is light sandy-brown. The underparts are slightly paler than the upper parts. The wings are light brown and sparsely covered in hair. Adult males are larger than females, and may be distinguished by a broader muzzle with a folded upper lip and the presence of shoulder epaulettes. These epaulettes are pockets containing long, white fur that can be erected to display prominent white shoulder patches. At rest, these patches disappear as the fur is retracted into the pocket. The ears have a patch of white fur at their base. The muzzle is dog-like.

      For a fruit bat, the skull is small and relatively delicate with weak zygomatic arches. In lateral profile, the rostrum and interorbital region are flat, while the parietal region is rounded and deflected downwards. The sagittal crest is absent, while the lambdoid crest is weak. There are six narrow palatal ridges present, two beyond the last molar. Only the fifth and sixth ridges are divided by a narrow groove. The dental formula is 2121/2132 = 28.

      Key identification features: The combination of white patches at the base of the ears and shoulder epaulettes (males) separates Epomophorus, Epomops and Micropteropus from other fruit bats. The palatal ridges of Epomops and Micropteropus are very different from those of Epomophorus; in the latter there are six narrow ridges (five thick ridges in Micropteropus and Epomops). Adult E. labiatus can be distinguished from the much larger sympatric E. wahlbergi and E. crypturus by size (FA < 70 mm; in E. wahlbergi and E. crypturus FA > 75 mm). Epomophorus labiatus overlaps in size with E. grandis, but in the latter the second to sixth palatal ridges are divided (second to fourth ridges not divided in E. labiatus). Epomophorus anselli is larger (male E. anselli FA > 70 mm; male E. labiatus minor FA < 70 mm).

      Echolocation call: This bat does not echolocate.

      Distribution, habitat and roosting: Epomophorus labiatus is widespread in Malawi and northeast Zambia. It has also been collected from northwestern Mozambique along the shores of Lake Malawi (Monadjem et al. 2010a). It may have been overlooked in northern and central Mozambique where it might be more widespread than the current map suggests. The type specimen for labiatus