Murina philippinensis, Eger & Sedlock & Lim & Heaney, 2025

Murina philippinensis sp. nov.

Figs. 1 View FIGURE 1 , 7B View FIGURE 7 , 8F View FIGURE 8 , 9F View FIGURE 9 , 10D View FIGURE 10 ; Tables 1, 2A, 2B.

Murina suilla View in CoL : Balete et al. 2013: 15, 21; Heaney et al. 2016b: 244

Holotype. FMNH 205834 About FMNH , field number JLS 726 , adult male, alcohol specimen with skull extracted, collected by J. L. Sedlock, 5 August 2009. The holotype is currently housed at FMNH but will be transferred to the National Museum of the Philippines, Manila before the end of 2025, where it has been assigned PNM 9671 View Materials . The nucleotide sequence of Cytb mitochondrial gene is PV659294 and DBY nuclear gene is PV659358.

Type locality. Sitio Bulalacao , Brgy Nug-as , Alcoy Municipality, Cebu Province, Cebu Island, Philippines ( 9.7205 N 123.4594 E, elevation 763 m) GoogleMaps

Paratype. FMNH 205835 About FMNH , field number JLS 741, adult female, collected 8 August 2009, same locality as holotype .

Etymology. The most widespread of the Philippine endemic Murina species, this species name reflects its broad distribution across oceanic portions of the Philippine archipelago , from Luzon in the north to Mindanao in the south. The suggested English common name is “Philippine tube-nosed bat.”

Measurements of holotype (in mm) and body mass (in g): total length, 80; tail vertebrae, 26; hind foot, 9; ear, 16, forearm, 32.8; and mass, 4.4.

Referred Material. FMNH 186818 About FMNH , field number DSB 3657 , ♂, collected 18 September 2005, San Isidro Municipality, Mt. Hamiguitan , Davao Oriental Province, Mindanao Island, Philippines ( 06 43 56.3 N 126 09 3.2 E elevation 670 m) GoogleMaps ; FMNH 195493 About FMNH , field number GBI 18, ♂, collected 25 May 2007, Maragusan Municipality, Mt. Kampalili , Compostella Valley Province, Mindanao Island, Philippines ( 7 17 11.7 N 126 16 30.9 E, elevation 1900 m) GoogleMaps ; FMNH 206220 About FMNH , field number DSB 5721 , ♀, collected 12 October 2008, Polomoc Municipality, 1.4 km S, 0.55 km E Mt. Matutum peak, South Cotabato Province, Mindanao Island , Philippines ( 6.3482 N 125.07867 E, elevation 1450 m) GoogleMaps ; and FMNH 205412 About FMNH , field number DSB 5983 , ♀, collected 8 June 2009, Rodriguez Munic., 1.25 km S, 0.5 km W Mt Irid peak, Rizal Province, Luzon Island , Philippines ( 14.7800 N 121.32116 E, elevation 920 m) GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis. The smallest species of Murina in the Philippines and a member of the M. suilla group as defined by Hill and Francis (1984). Murina philippinensis is generally similar in size, colour and tooth formation to M. suilla from Mindoro but differs by having light brown wings and less hairy tail membrane and is smaller (FA = 30.8–33.4 mm vs. 33.5–34.6 mm; GLS = 15.3–16.3 mm vs. 16.1–16.3 mm). Externally M. philippinensis differs from the M. cyclotis group with its tricoloured fur, which is dark at the base, unique among the Philippine species, and it is much smaller ( Table 1). The mesostyle on M 1 and M 2 is not reduced (compare ventral skull images Fig. 9F View FIGURE 9 with A–E), and the talonid on lower molars is more than ½ the size of the trigonid (compare mandible images 9F with A–E).

Description. The dorsal pelage of the holotype is bright reddish brown (chestnut) in colour. The dorsal fur is tri-coloured, dark greyish brown at the base, a narrow band of light brown in the middle section grading into overall bright reddish-brown tips, some of which have dark brown tips ( Fig. 3C View FIGURE 3 ). The ventrum is bi-coloured, dark grey at the base with buffy tips, including the chin, belly, abdomen and along the wings. The fur on the uropatagium is reddish brown and the uropatagium is heavily furred along the tail vertebrae, tibia and feet. The ear is notched on the posterior side.

The dorsal colour of the Luzon specimen (FMNH 205412) is similar to the holotype; ventrally, the basal band is a lighter grey with buff tips. Banding is more obvious at the throat, along the wings and on the chest; and the abdomen is unicolour buff. A specimen from Mindanao (FMNH 1865818) has shorter fur dorsally and ventrally and the dorsum is a yellow brown colour rather than reddish brown of the more northern specimens. The dorsal fur has some dark brown tips, giving it a mottled appearance.

The braincase of the skull ( Fig. 8F View FIGURE 8 ) is elevated, the anterior upper premolar (P 2) is small, about half the height of the posterior (P 4); the inner upper incisor (I 2) is about the same height but smaller than and anterior to the outer incisor (I 3). The upper molars (M 1, M 2) have well developed cusps with a distinct W-shape ( Figs. 3A View FIGURE 3 , 9F View FIGURE 9 ). The toothrows are convergent and the basisphenoid pits are teardrop in shape. On the mandible the incisors are tricuspidate, the anterior premolar (P 2) is smaller than the posterior (P 4), and the talonids of the first two molars are equal in size to the trigonids ( Figs. 3B View FIGURE 3 , 9F View FIGURE 9 ). See Tables 1 and 2A, 2B for selected external and skull measurements.

Ecology. This species was captured across the archipelago from Luzon to Mindanao, and across a broad elevational range ( 670–1450 m), although seemingly absent below about 650 m ( Fig. 5 View FIGURE 5 ). On Cebu Island, it was captured in a small, isolated patch of second-growth forest on limestone surrounded by corn and vegetable crops. On Luzon it was captured in disturbed lowland dipterocarp-lower montane forest on limestone ( Balete et al. 2013), and on Mindanao Island it was recorded in second-growth lowland forest on ultramafic soils ( 670 m), and in primary transitional montane forest dominated by tree ferns, rattan and thick moss-cover ( 1450 m). Bats were captured using harp traps and nets set across forest trails, as well as a mist net set across a river. A lactating female was captured in June on Luzon Island, and a post-lactating female was captured on Cebu Island in August.

Distribution. The most widespread of the Philippine Murina species, M. philippinensis occurs from Luzon south to Mindanao, apparently excluding only the Palawan region, the Babuyan and Batanes Islands north of Luzon, and the islands between Mindanao and Borneo (including Jolo and Tawitawi; Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 ).

Genetic Analysis. Cytochrome b and DBY sequences are available on GenBank for specimens listed in Appendices 2 and 3. Estimates of evolutionary divergence based on Cytb indicate that M. philippinensis differs by 14% from M. suilla , represented in this analysis by specimens from Mindoro, Java and Sabah and by 23% or more from other species of Murina from the Philippines ( Table 3).