''Setirostris eleryi'' is a species of small insectivorous bat found in inland

eastern Australia The eastern states of Australia are the states adjoining the east continental coastline of Australia. These are the mainland states of Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, and the island state of Tasmania. The Australian Capital Territory ...

. It is the sole species of the

molossid The Molossidae, or free-tailed bats, are a family of bats within the order Chiroptera. The Molossidae is the fourth-largest family of bats, containing about 110 species as of 2012. They are generally quite robust, and consist of many strong-flyi ...

genus ''Setirostris'', a name that refers to the coarse bristles on their faces. Earlier

common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...

s have referred to this unique feature, and the 'free-tail' that is a common feature of its microchiropteran family, the Molossidae; no single common name emerged during the taxonomic revisions that identified what was referred to as the bristle-faced freetail. ''Setirostris eleryi'' differs from all other bats in the family by possessing unique dentition and genital morphology, a distinctive echolocation call structure, and notably smaller body size of around . The presence of stout bristles on the thin muzzle and face of ''S. eleryi'' distinguishes them from similar genus ''

Ozimops ''Ozimops'' is a genus of molossid bats found in Australia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Description ''Ozimops'' are small and stout microbats, with forearm measurement ranging from 29 to 41 millimetres and weigh from 6 to 18 grams. The ea ...

'', once regarded as "''Mormopterus'' species", that previously included parts of the population. The description, first published in 2008, emerged from a comparison of morphological features with an earlier

phylogenetic analysis In biology, phylogenetics (; from Greek φυλή/ φῦλον [] "tribe, clan, race", and wikt:γενετικός, γενετικός [] "origin, source, birth") is the study of the evolutionary history and relationships among or within groups o ...

that had indicated

cryptic species In biology, a species complex is a group of closely related organisms that are so similar in appearance and other features that the boundaries between them are often unclear. The taxa in the complex may be able to hybridize readily with each oth ...

amongst this poorly-known group of bats. ''Setirostris eleryi'' may be widely distributed across inland Australia, ranging from very arid to moister subtropical regions. However, it is locally uncommon across its range, and only known to inhabit

riparian A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. Riparian is also the proper nomenclature for one of the terrestrial biomes of the Earth. Plant habitats and communities along the river margins and banks ar ...

zones and

floodplain A floodplain or flood plain or bottomlands is an area of land adjacent to a river which stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls, and which experiences flooding during periods of high discharge.Goudi ...

s. During the day these bats roost in

tree hollow A tree hollow or tree hole is a semi-enclosed cavity which has naturally formed in the trunk or branch of a tree. They are found mainly in old trees, whether living or not. Hollows form in many species of trees, and are a prominent feature of nat ...

s of mature

eucalypt Eucalypt is a descriptive name for woody plants with capsule fruiting bodies belonging to seven closely related genera (of the tribe Eucalypteae) found across Australasia: ''Eucalyptus'', '' Corymbia'', '' Angophora'', ''Stockwellia'', ''Allosyn ...

s, but are noted as squeezing themselves into other tiny crevices. They form

colonies In modern parlance, a colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule. Though dominated by the foreign colonizers, colonies remain separate from the administration of the original country of the colonizers, the '' metropolitan state'' ...

of up to twenty individuals, which often include bats of other species.

Taxonomy

A 1988 genetic study of species boundaries in Australian free-tailed bats (family Molossidae) indicated that species ''Setirostris eleryi'', referred to as 'form sp 6' (later ''Mormopterus'' sp. 6), was one of eight distinct and unresolved genetic groups in the Australian population of ''

Mormopterus ''Mormopterus'' is a genus of molossid microchiropterans, small flying mammals referred to as free-tailed bats. The genus has been the subject of several revisions, and the diversity of taxa centred on Australia were separated to a new genus ''O ...

''. ''Mormopterus'' sp 6 was genetically distinct from all other types; however, only a single specimen from central Australia was included in the study. The acquisition of twenty-four additional specimens, from museum collections and by targeted trapping, facilitated a working description of ''Mormopterus'' sp. 6 in 2008 using a multi-locus analysis of morphology, the results of

allozyme Alloenzymes (or also called allozymes) are variant forms of an enzyme which differ structurally but not functionally from other allozymes coded for by different alleles at the same locus. These are opposed to isozymes, which are enzymes that perfo ...

electrophoresis Electrophoresis, from Ancient Greek ἤλεκτρον (ḗlektron, "amber") and φόρησις (phórēsis, "the act of bearing"), is the motion of dispersed particles relative to a fluid under the influence of a spatially uniform electric fie ...

and investigation of echolocation call signatures. Referenced as an undescribed taxon, ''Mormopterus'' sp. 6 was cited by authors until its recognition as species ''Mormopterus'' (''Setirostris'') ''eleryi'' in publications after 2011. Resolution of Australian Molossidae

systematics Biological systematics is the study of the diversification of living forms, both past and present, and the relationships among living things through time. Relationships are visualized as evolutionary trees (synonyms: cladograms, phylogenetic tre ...

showed that this species, and the east-coast '' Micronomus norfolkensis'', are only distantly related to other Australian mollosid taxa. The differences between these two species and remaining taxa in the ''Mormopterus planiceps'' group', or ''planiceps–beccarii–loriae'' complex', previously published as an interim arrangement, led to the erection of four new subgenera in 2014. Prior to 2014, two subgenera were recognized within ''Mormopterus'': subgenus ''Mormopterus'' and subgenus ''Micronomus''. The two new subgenera included ''Setirostris'', isolating this species as a

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...

taxon, and ''

'', a subgenus containing seven other Australian taxa, as well as several Indo-Papuan taxa, all formerly in the ''planiceps'' group. Other mollosid populations were separated to the monotypic genus ''Micronomus'' and those outside of the same austral region remained within the subgenus ''Mormopterus''. Subsequently, the rank of subgenus ''Mormopterus'' was itself revised, excluding the Australasian species, and elevated to the rank of genus. The

type specimen In biology, a type is a particular wiktionary:en:specimen, specimen (or in some cases a group of specimens) of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally attached. In other words, a type is an example that serves to a ...

was collected at an elevation of near Eringa, a cattle pastoralist lease (

station Station may refer to: Agriculture * Station (Australian agriculture), a large Australian landholding used for livestock production * Station (New Zealand agriculture), a large New Zealand farm used for grazing by sheep and cattle ** Cattle statio ...

) close to the northern state border of South Australia. The name ''Setirostris'' is derived from a combination of the Latin ''seta'', meaning bristle, and ''rostrum'', beak or snout, and refers to the characteristic bristles on the face; the

gender Gender is the range of characteristics pertaining to femininity and masculinity and differentiating between them. Depending on the context, this may include sex-based social structures (i.e. gender roles) and gender identity. Most cultures u ...

is feminine. The specific name ''eleryi'' is for Elery Hamilton-Smith in recognition of contributions to bat research and conservation. Common names for the species include hairy-nosed—or hairy-rostrum—free-tailed bat, bristle-faced freetail bat and ''Mormopterus'' sp. 6.

Description

''Setirostris eleryi'' is a very small

microchiropteran Microbats constitute the suborder Microchiroptera within the order Chiroptera (bats). Bats have long been differentiated into Megachiroptera (megabats) and Microchiroptera, based on their size, the use of echolocation by the Microchiroptera an ...

, with a light build, and was regarded as tiny when compared to species of ''

'', the genus of smaller bats in which they were variously placed. They have a mean weight of , a maximum weight of and a forearm length from . The face and muzzle are relatively long and narrow. The muzzle and face are sparsely covered in fine hair, with the exception of a unique series of 26 to 30 conspicuous bristles on each side and a fringe of fur on the upper lip. The ears are triangular and are not joined across the forehead and the tragus is rounded. The dorsal colour ranges from sandy-brown to grey-brown with lighter coloration on the ventral surface. Mormopterus eleryi rostrum

A prominent long and slender genital projection is present in both the male and female of the species. The function of the projection is unknown and these features are not shared by any other Australian ChiropteraReardon, T. B. (2001). The unusual penis morphology of the hairy-nosed freetail bat. ''The Australasian Bat Society Newsletter'' 17: 53-54. with the exception of ''Micronomus norfolkensis''. Males of the species also possess unique serrated lateral flanges on the acutely pointed glans penis. Features of the

dentition Dentition pertains to the development of teeth and their arrangement in the mouth. In particular, it is the characteristic arrangement, kind, and number of teeth in a given species at a given age. That is, the number, type, and morpho-physiolo ...

are also unique to this species. As the type and currently sole species of genus ''Setirostris'', ''S. eleryi'' was distinguished from other species of the genus ''Mormopterus'' by the absence of a developed

gular sac Gular skin (throat skin), in ornithology, is an area of featherless skin on birds that joins the lower mandible of the beak (or ''bill'') to the bird's neck. Other vertebrate taxa may have a comparable anatomical structure that is referred to as e ...

, possessing two (rather than three) lower

incisor Incisors (from Latin ''incidere'', "to cut") are the front teeth present in most mammals. They are located in the premaxilla above and on the mandible below. Humans have a total of eight (two on each side, top and bottom). Opossums have 18, whe ...

s and two (not one) upper

premolar The premolars, also called premolar teeth, or bicuspids, are transitional teeth located between the canine and molar teeth. In humans, there are two premolars per quadrant in the permanent set of teeth, making eight premolars total in the mouth ...

Range and distribution

''Setirostris eleryi'' is uncommon and widely dispersed across broad areas of inland Australia, with specimens and records from

central Australia Central Australia, also sometimes referred to as the Red Centre, is an inexactly defined region associated with the geographic centre of Australia. In its narrowest sense it describes a region that is limited to the town of Alice Springs and i ...

and the remote southwestern corner of the

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory ...

, northern

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

, western and central

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

and north western

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

(NSW). The distribution of ''S. eleryi'' is unusual in that it ranges from extremely arid areas of the central Australian interior, where average annual rainfall is less than , to areas of the northeastern Queensland dry tropics where average annual rainfall can exceed . The eastern component of its distribution range occurs to the west of the

Great Dividing Range The Great Dividing Range, also known as the East Australian Cordillera or the Eastern Highlands, is a cordillera system in eastern Australia consisting of an expansive collection of mountain ranges, plateaus and rolling hills, that runs rough ...

within the

Brigalow Belt The Brigalow Belt is a wide band of acacia-wooded grassland that runs between tropical rainforest of the coast and the semi-arid interior of Queensland, Australia. The Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA) divides the Bri ...

(north and south),

Mulga Lands The Mulga Lands are an interim Australian bioregion of eastern Australia consisting of dry sandy plains with low mulga woodlands and shrublands that are dominated by ''Acacia aneura'' (mulga). The Eastern Australia mulga shrublands ecoregion i ...

, Darling Riverine Plains and Nandewar Biogeographic Regions. In the western component it occurs within the Finke,

MacDonnell Ranges The MacDonnell Ranges, or Tjoritja in Arrernte, is a mountain range located in southern Northern Territory. MacDonnell Ranges is also the name given to an interim Australian bioregion broadly encompassing the mountain range, with an area of .< ...

, Simpson Strzelecki Dunefields and

Central Ranges Central Ranges (code CER) is an Australian bioregion, with an area of 101,640.44 square kilometres (39,244 sq mi) spreading across two states and one territory: South Australia, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory. The presence of outlying records for ''S. eleryi'' at

Kaltukatjara Kaltukatjara , also known as Docker River, is a remote Indigenous Australian community in the Northern Territory of Australia. It is southwest of Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Alice Springs, west of the Stuart Highway, near the Western Aust ...

(southwestern Northern Territory),

Mount Isa Mount Isa ( ) is a city in the Gulf Country region of Queensland, Australia. It came into existence because of the vast mineral deposits found in the area. Mount Isa Mines (MIM) is one of the most productive single mines in world history, bas ...

(northwestern Queensland) and the area south of Bourke (northwestern New South Wales) indicate that the species may have a greater distribution in the

arid A region is arid when it severely lacks available water, to the extent of hindering or preventing the growth and development of plant and animal life. Regions with arid climates tend to lack vegetation and are called xeric or desertic. Most ar ...

and

semi-arid A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi-ar ...

regions of NSW, Queensland, the Northern Territory and

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

than available records indicate. However its range and status remain relatively poorly known. In 2008 it had been recorded at 26 localities and few additional locations have been recorded in subsequent years.

Habitat

Records of ''S. eleryi'' are of individuals captured in

mist net Mist nets are used by hunters and poachers, but also by ornithologists and chiropterologists to capture wild birds and bats for banding or other research projects. Mist nets are typically made of nylon or polyester mesh suspended between two po ...

s or harp traps in

riparian habitat A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. Riparian is also the proper nomenclature for one of the terrestrial biomes of the Earth. Plant habitats and communities along the river margins and banks ar ...

s on ephemeral streams, floodways, pools or dams, usually at sites supporting a large fringe of eucalypt trees. Capture sites are consistently associated with

and floodplain habitats that support a canopy of eucalypts, including ''

Eucalyptus camaldulensis ''Eucalyptus camaldulensis'', commonly known as the river red gum, is a tree that is endemic to Australia. It has smooth white or cream-coloured bark, lance-shaped or curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven or nine, white flowers an ...

'', '' E. coolabah'', '' E. microtheca'', '' E. populnea'', '' E. polyanthemos'' and '' E. citriodora''. At

Gundabooka National Park The Gundabooka National Park is a protected national park in the north-west region of New South Wales, in eastern Australia. The national park is located approximately northwest of Sydney. The nearest town is , to the north. The national pa ...

in western NSW the species was only trapped along drainage lines with eucalypts ''E. camaldulensis'' and ''E. populnea''. During radio tracking studies at the Gundabooka site the species was observed to preferentially forage along drainage lines and open channels, rarely moving into adjacent mulga vegetation dominated by ''

Acacia aneura ''Acacia aneura'', commonly known as mulga or true mulga, is a shrub or small tree native to arid outback areas of Australia. It is the dominant tree in the habitat to which it gives its name ( mulga) that occurs across much of inland Australia. ...

''. All the roost sites identified were in tall eucalypts within, or adjacent to, riparian zones. The preference of this species for riparian habitats is consistent across its known range. At the type locality in northern South Australia ''S. eleryi'' was captured on a floodway in ''

Acacia cambagei ''Acacia cambagei'', commonly known as gidgee, stinking wattle, stinking gidgee in English, or gidjiirr, by transliteration from indigenous languages of north-western NSW, is an endemic tree of Australia. It is found primarily in semiarid and a ...

'' low woodland with emergent ''Eucalyptus coolabah''. At

Idalia National Park Idalia is a national park in South West Queensland, Australia, 893 km west of Brisbane. Idalia National Park is located near the town of Blackall in the Queensland outback. The park protects 144,000 hectares of mulga lands with conservat ...

in western Queensland two specimens were captured in riparian woodland near open water, with a canopy of ''Eucalyptus camaldulensis'' and ''Eucalyptus populnea''. At a site in northeastern NSW (

Kwiambal National Park Kwiambal is a national park in New South Wales, Australia located about 30 km from the town of Ashford. The Severn River and Macintyre River both flow through and finally converge in the park below the MacIntyre falls. The park is studded ...

) the bat was captured on a riparian terrace adjacent to a river, with trees at the location including ''Eucalyptus camaldulensis'', ''

Eucalyptus blakelyi ''Eucalyptus blakelyi'', known as Blakely's red gum, is a tree endemic to eastern Australia. It has smooth bark on its trunk and branches, dull bluish green, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds usually in groups of seven, white flowers and cup ...

'' and rough-barked apple, species ''

Angophora floribunda ''Angophora floribunda'', commonly known as the rough-barked apple, is a common woodland and forest tree of the family Myrtaceae native to Eastern Australia. Reaching 30 m (100 ft) high, it is a large tree with fibrous bark and cream-wh ...

''.

Behaviour and ecology

The species is amongst the least known of Australian

Chiroptera Bats are mammals of the Order (biology), order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in fli ...

(bats), with little research and few records, especially in the

capital territory A capital district, capital region or capital territory is normally a specially designated administrative division where a country's seat of government is located. As such, in a federal model of government, no state or territory has any politica ...

and New South Wales. Information on the behaviour and ecology of ''S. eleryi'' is mainly derived from a short study conducted at

in western NSW in 2005. The species has been captured in arid woodlands at

Warialda Warialda is a town in the North West Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia, in Gwydir Shire. Situated on the banks of Warialda Creek, the town's name means "Place of Wild Honey" in local aboriginal language. At the , Warialda had a populati ...

in the Goondawindi area and at

Cobar Cobar is a town in central western New South Wales, Australia whose economy is based mainly upon base metals and gold mining. The town is by road northwest of the state capital, Sydney. It is at the crossroads of the Kidman Way and Barrier Hig ...

in the Bourke region.

Roost sites

Based on the limited observations, ''S. eleryi'' are known to maintain daytime roosts in

tree hollows A tree hollow or tree hole is a semi-enclosed cavity which has naturally formed in the trunk or branch of a tree. They are found mainly in old trees, whether living or not. Hollows form in many species of trees, and are a prominent feature of nat ...

at a living or dead trunk or branch. All three roost known sites were in tall ''Eucalyptus populnea'' or ''

Eucalyptus intertexta ''Eucalyptus intertexta'', commonly known as inland red box, western red box, gum coolibah or the bastard coolibah, is a species of tree that is endemic to central Australia. It has rough, fibrous or flaky bark on the base of the trunk, smooth w ...

'' at a height of above the ground and displayed very small entrance holes leading to a larger chamber. The roosts were shared with between four and twenty other bats (including bats of other species) and in some cases roosts were used on consecutive nights. The roosts were located an average distance of from capture sites and females were found to occupy separate maternity roosts.

Foraging and diet

Presumably, as is typical for similar species, ''S. eleryi'' emerge from their roosting sites and forage at night. The observations are along drainage lines and open channels, flying with slow fluttering movements below the canopy at a low altitude of . Prey items are noted as flying invertebrates, captured in the air close to the ground or adjacent vegetation by the chiropteran strategy that is similar to gleaning by birds. The specific composition of the invertebrate diet of ''S. eleryi'' is unknown. The flight patterns are distinguishable from similar species, as the slow flutter is closer to the foliage and ground.

Echolocation

The echolocation call of ''S. eleryi'' contrasts with all other Australian

bats in that it displays a strongly frequency-modulated search phase pulse. The bat also has the highest mean characteristic frequency (36 kHz) of any Australian ''Mormopterus''.

Reproduction

Information on the reproduction of the ''S. eleryi'' is limited. A maternity roost located in December at Gundabooka National Park in western NSW contained a colony of fifteen lactating females. A female captured during October in the Northern Territory was in an advanced stage of pregnancy.

Conservation status and threats

Assessment and legislative status

As of 2020, ''S. eleryi'' is listed as a

near-threatened species A near-threatened species is a species which has been categorized as "Near Threatened" (NT) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as that may be vulnerable to endangerment in the near future, but it does not currently qualify fo ...

by the

International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

. It is listed as endangered in New South Wales and vulnerable in South Australia. The regional status is a least concern species in the Northern Territory and Queensland, and 'not listed' in Australian Commonwealth conservation lists. The separation of the species to a monotypic taxon ''Setirostris'', a subgenus or perhaps genus, indicates it is

phylogenetic In biology, phylogenetics (; from Greek φυλή/ φῦλον [] "tribe, clan, race", and wikt:γενετικός, γενετικός [] "origin, source, birth") is the study of the evolutionary history and relationships among or within groups o ...

ally unique and this increases the conservation value of the population.

Population status

''Setirostris eleryi'' appears to be extremely rare across its range. It has been detected at a limited number of localities and at these sites it appears to be uncommon, often comprising less than two percent of the bats captured during surveys. In NSW it has only been recorded at a small number of locations, despite recent extensive surveys at over three hundred sites in suitable habitat. Its preferred mode of foraging by flying at low levels along stream corridors suggests that the low numbers captured in surveys using mist nets and harp traps are an indication of rarity and are not an artifact of the survey methodology.

Threats

Identified and potential threats to populations of ''S. eleryi'' are related to the direct and indirect actions of humans, including:

land clearing Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. The most concentrated d ...

timber harvesting Logging is the process of cutting, processing, and moving trees to a location for transport. It may include skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks or skeleton cars. Logging is the beginning of a supply chain ...

, manipulation of water resources, altered

fire regime A fire regime is the pattern, frequency, and intensity of the bushfires and wildfires that prevail in an area over long periods of time. It is an integral part of fire ecology, and renewal for certain types of ecosystems. A fire regime describes th ...

s, use of

pesticides Pesticides are substances that are meant to control pests. This includes herbicide, insecticide, nematicide, molluscicide, piscicide, avicide, rodenticide, bactericide, insect repellent, animal repellent, microbicide, fungicide, and lampric ...

, stocking with exotic

ruminant Ruminants (suborder Ruminantia) are ungulate, hoofed herbivorous grazing or browsing mammals that are able to acquire nutrients from plant-based food by Enteric fermentation, fermenting it in a specialized stomach prior to digestion, principally ...

s, spread of

feral animal A feral () animal or plant is one that lives in the wild but is descended from domesticated individuals. As with an introduced species, the introduction of feral animals or plants to non-native regions may disrupt ecosystems and has, in some ...

s and weeds, and

atmospheric pollution Air pollution is the contamination of air due to the presence of substances in the atmosphere that are harmful to the health of humans and other living beings, or cause damage to the climate or to materials. There are many different types ...

leading to

global warming In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...

. The most significant threat to ''S. eleryi'' is likely to be ongoing land clearing in semi-arid bioregions of Queensland and NSW. The eastern Australian bioregions that comprise the core range of the species, particularly the

(north and south), have been subjected to broad-scale clearing and habitat modification since European settlement. Clearing of vegetation for agriculture and removal of hollow bearing trees for firewood collection and forestry are likely to reduce the availability of roosting sites for ''S. eleryi''. Clearing of native vegetation and removal of dead wood and dead trees have been recognised as key threatening processes for the species in NSW. Additional key threatening processes that are considered likely to impact ''S. eleryi'' include: the alteration to natural flow regimes, competition from introduced

western honey bee The western honey bee or European honey bee (''Apis mellifera'') is the most common of the 7–12 species of honey bees worldwide. The genus name ''Apis'' is Latin for "bee", and ''mellifera'' is the Latin for "honey-bearing" or "honey carrying", ...

s (''

Apis mellifera The western honey bee or European honey bee (''Apis mellifera'') is the most common of the 7–12 species of honey bees worldwide. The genus name ''Apis'' is Latin for "bee", and ''mellifera'' is the Latin for "honey-bearing" or "honey carrying", ...

'') for tree hollows, inappropriate fire regimes, reduction of invertebrate prey related to pesticide drift and lack of tree regeneration due to overgrazing and weeds. Climate can influence bat distribution, movements and biogeography, access to food resources, timing of reproduction, and emergence and rate of energy expenditure. In combination with other factors, including ongoing loss and degradation of habitat, global climate change or

presents a serious and increasing threat to bats and other fauna. The affinity of ''S. eleryi'' for riparian zones in arid and semi-arid environments renders it potentially vulnerable to the effects of

water stress Water scarcity (closely related to water stress or water crisis) is the lack of fresh water resources to meet the standard water demand. There are two types of water scarcity: physical or economic water scarcity. Physical water scarcity is where ...

and

extreme weather Extreme weather or extreme climate events includes unexpected, unusual, severe, or unseasonal weather; weather at the extremes of the historical distribution—the range that has been seen in the past. Often, extreme events are based on a locat ...

events. Ecological factors that qualify the population as being at increased risk of the potential impacts of global climate change include: habitat (species that rely on riparian habitats in

prone environments), foraging type (aerial hawking insectivore), roost type (tree hollow specialist), biogeography (species with limited dispersal ability, limited ranging behaviour) and

(species that occur in regions where there is an increasing risk of extreme temperature events or changes in rainfall patterns).

Conservation reserves

''Setirostris eleryi'' has been recorded in a number of

conservation reserve A conservation reserve is a protected area set aside for conservation purposes. Conservation reserves by country Australia In South Australia, a conservation reserve is a type of protected area declared under the ''Crown Land Management Act 2009 ...

s, including

(NSW),

(NSW), Dthinna Dthinnawan National Park (NSW),

(QLD),

Mariala National Park Mariala National Park is a national park in South West Queensland, Australia, 810 km west of Brisbane. Mariala lies within the Mulga Lands bioregion and the Shire of Quilpie local government area. It is located with the water catchment area ...

(QLD) and

Witjira National Park Witjira National Park is a protected area in the Australian state of South Australia about north of the state capital of Adelaide. History The national park was proclaimed on 21 November 1985 to "protect Australia’s largest array of artesian ...

(SA). The

bioregions A bioregion is an ecology, ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a biogeographic realm, but larger than an ecoregion or an ecosystem, in the World Wide Fund for Nature classification scheme. There is also an attempt to ...

that are known to support ''S. eleryi'' populations in the eastern component of its range, as well as a subset of bioregions where it occurs in central Australia, display very low rates of land area reserved for conservation (less than five percent).Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council (2010)
Australia's Strategy for the National Reserve System 2009–2030
Commonwealth of Australia. Based on locality data only 25% of sites known to support populations of ''S. eleryi'' are protected within conservation reserves.

References

External links

* NSW Threatened Species Profile for ''Mormopterus eleryi'

* NSW Scientific Committee Endangered species listing ''Mormopterus eleryi'' - final determinatio

{{Taxonbar, from=Q9035195, from2=Q61626094, from3=Q61650441 Molossidae Bats of Australia Mammals of South Australia Mammals of the Northern Territory Mammals of New South Wales Bat genera Monotypic bat genera