Cynopterus sphinx

Cynopterus sphinx [Vahl, 1797] Vespertilio sphinx Vahl, 1797: 123; Tranquebar, Madras, INDIA (Collector unknown; Type unknown) [72]. Cynopterus sphinx [73]. Common English name: Greater Short-nosed Fruit Bat Barcode Index Number: DNA barcodes recorded as C. sphinx are associated with BIN, BOLD: AAA 3386, but there are no DNA barcodes from Peninsular Malaysia. Another BIN (BOLD: AAD 9139) contains a single DNA barcode of C. sphinx from India and DNA barcodes recorded as Pteropus vampyrus, P. lylei, and Rousettus leschenaultii, which we suspect may represent erroneous records or contamination. Remarks: C. sphinx resembles C. cf. brachyotis closely in morphology and both taxa overlap in forearm measurements [14]. However, examination of specimens from Peninsular Malaysia identified as C. sphinx, C. cf. brachyotis SUNDA and C. cf. brachyotis FOREST revealed that C. sphinx is 8.9% from C. cf. brachyotis SUNDA and 7.5% divergentfrom C. cf. brachyotis FOR- EST in mtDNA (combined control region and cytochrome b) [64]. Our examination of DWNP specimens labelled as C. sphinx and C. cf. brachyotis from Peninsular Malayia revealed that the taxa can be differentiatied by a distinctive lower last molar. Specimens labelled as C. sphinx have lower teeth which are almost uniform in size whereas specimens of C. cf. brachyotis have non-uniformed lower teeth with extremely small lower last molars [74]. IUCN status: Least Concern Recorded at: Perak: Selama [49], Taiping [64]; Kelantan: Gunung Reng and Lojing Highlands [62], Gunung Stong State Park [67]; Perlis: Wang Kelian State Park [50], Kuala Perlis, Perlis State Park and Kangar [64]; Pahang: Cameron Highland [64]. C. sphinx is commonly found in disturbed habitats and ecotones but not in the forest interior [14, 65].
Published as part of Voon-Ching Lim, Rosli Ramli, Subha Bhassu & John-James Wilson, 2017, A checklist of the bats of Peninsular Malaysia and progress towards a DNA barcode reference library, pp. 1-65 in PLoS ONE 12 (7) on pages 8-9, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0179555, http://zenodo.org/record/4251352
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