Red List of South African Species

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Least Concern (LC)
Assessors: Ara Monadjem David Jacobs Lientjie Cohen Kate MacEwan Leigh Rosanne Richards Corrie Schoeman Theresa Sethusa Peter Taylor
Contributors: Claire Relton Domitilla Raimondo Samantha Page-Nicholson
Reviewers: Ara Monadjem David Jacobs Lientjie Cohen Kate MacEwan Leigh Rosanne Richards Corrie Shoeman Theresa Sethusa Peter Taylor

Rationale

Within the assessment region, this species is known from two major protected areas: Augrabies Falls National Park and Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park. As such, there are no known plausible threats and thus the localities do not represent locations. We therefore list the species as Least Concern. While it was considered a vagrant in the previous assessment (known only from Augrabies Falls National Park), new records from the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park justify a listing for the region. Further field surveys and research are needed to more accurately delimit its distribution within the assessment region and to resolve its taxonomy. If it occurs more extensively outside protected areas than currently known, it may be facing local threats. Once such data are available, a reassessment may be necessary.

Regional population effects: Although records of this species in southern Africa are scattered, its habitat is connected through transfrontier conservation areas between South Africa and Zimbabwe. However, it has low wing loading (Norberg & Rayner 1987) so rescue effects are uncertain.

Distribution

This species is widespread across Africa. It has a disjunct distribution through North Africa, with records from Morocco to Algeria, Tunisia and Libya (Benda et al. 2004). Its range extends along the Nile River through Egypt to the northern reaches of the Red Sea and the western regions of Sinai (ACR 2015). In West Africa, it has been recorded along the coast of Senegal and at the border between Senegal and Mauritania. Its range is continuous from northern Sudan southwards to northern Zimbabwe, and extends eastwards from western Zambia across to western Mozambique. In southern Africa, it occurs widely across the northern parts of the region from the Kruger National Park through to Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, southern Democratic Republic of Congo, northern Botswana and west to Angola and the extreme north of Namibia (Monadjem et al. 2010). Riparian fringes along the Limpopo and Zambezi rivers may explain outlying records of this species in semi-arid savannahs of southern and northern Zimbabwe (Monadjem et al. 2010). Within the assessment region, there is an isolated record from the Augrabies Falls National Park, Northern Cape, which may represent a vagrant or an overlooked population (Monadjem et al. 2010). Habitat models suggest that the species may occur more widely in Namibia and adjoining parts of southern Angola, and along the Zambezi River in Mozambique (Monadjem et al. 2010).

Population trend

Trend

This species is predominantly known from captures in mist nets, thus no data are available for population size or trends (ACR 2015). However, it is considered uncommon as it is not well represented in museums, with only 60 specimens examined in Monadjem et al. (2010).

Threats

No specific major threats have been identified for this species in the assessment region as it is known exclusively from protected areas at present. Globally it is known to be vulnerable to the use of pesticides, especially those against locusts. If this species is found to occur more extensively outside protected areas, agricultural transformation and the subsequent loss of an insect prey base may be a potential threat. Additionally, climate change has been identified as an increasing global threat to other bat species (Sherwin et al. 2013), and may similarly impact the food availability and energetic expenditure this species. Further research is required to delineate the distributional limits, taxonomic status, roosting behaviour and potential threats to this species.

Uses and trade

There is no evidence to suggest that this species is harvested or traded within the assessment region.

Conservation

All recorded subpopulations in the assessment region occur within the protected Kruger National Park and Augrabies Falls National Park. As such, no specific conservation interventions are necessary at present. Globally, a study on the impacts of pesticides is required, especially ways in which the impact could be minimised (ACR 2015). If the population in the assessment region is found to occur outside protected areas, it would benefit from holistic land management that reduces pesticide use and conserves buffer strips of natural vegetation to sustain insect biomass.

Recommendations for land managers and practitioners:
  •  Identify further populations within the assessment region
Research priorities:
  • Further field surveys to more accurately delimit its distribution within the assessment region.
  • The impacts of agricultural pesticides to bats, especially ways in which these threats may be minimised.
  • Roosting behaviour and the identification of key roosting sites.
  • Taxonomic revision to determine whether P. rueppellii should belong to its own distinct genus and to resolve the status of the putative subspecies.
Encouraged citizen actions:
  • Citizens can assist the conservation of the species by reporting sightings on virtual museum platforms (for example, iSpot and MammalMAP), and therefore contribute to an understanding of the species distribution. This species is small, and easily distinguished from other pipistrelle bats by its pure white underparts.

References 

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 title = { Molecular phylogeny of African “pipistrelle” bats (Vespertilionidae) suggests new clades, rearrangement of genera, and extensive cryptic diversity within species. Pages 168–169 in Horácek I, Benda P, editors. 15th IBRC - the Conference Manual: Programme, abstracts, list of participants. Volume of abstracts of the 15th International Bat Research Conference. Prague, Czech Republic},
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,]
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