Taxonomic studies on Tadarida insignis from Japan

Abstract

A specimen, subadult female, of Tadarida was collected from Kumamoto City, Kyushu, Japan, by Dr. H. Tange in April, 1964. It is identified as T. insignis (BLYTH, 1861) and hence the third record for this species in Japan. If this identification is correct, insignis may not be a subspecies of T. teniotis but a distinct species differing in the following characters; 1) the wing membranes are only inserted to the lower third of the tibia instead of just above the ankle; 2) calcar with a distinct keel; 3) color of fur is fuscous, much darker than that of teniotis; 4) in the skull, zygomatic and lachrymal breadth are relatively narrower and the mandible is relatively longer than in teniotis; 5) lower incisors are strongly imbricated and the relatively larger second incisor extends to the middle of the inner lobe of the first incisor. The distribution of insignis is confined to China, Korea, southern Ussuri and Japan and clearly separated from that of teniotis by a broad region extending from Indo China and Tibet to Afghanistan.