Nueva especie de Lonchorhina (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) de Chiribiquete, Guayana colombiana

Researchers have identified a new species of sword-nose bat (Lonchorhina) within the Chiribiquete National Park, Colombia, distinguished by its exceptionally large noseleaf (>41.5 mm) and tragus (>22.3 mm), surpassing all known phyllostomid bats. This discovery, based on phenetic analysis of 105 specimens representing five recognized species, highlights the genus's underappreciated diversity. The new taxon, closely related to L. mairkellei and L. inusitata, exhibits a larger skull (GSL mean = 27.31 mm) and more robust dentition. Collected from an inselberg near Rio Mesay, the species honors the Karijona people of Chiribiquete, where ancient Amazon pictograms depict bats, underscoring its cultural significance in this biodiverse yet unexplored region.

mantilla-meluk, h., & Montenegro, O. (2016). Nueva especie de Lonchorhina (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) de Chiribiquete, Guayana colombiana. Revista Biodiversidad Neotropical, 6(2 Jul-Dic), 171. https://doi.org/10.18636/bioneotropical.v6i2.576