LA SELVA-BRAULIO CARRILLO MAMMALS 



81 



Vampyressa pusilla 

 Little Yellow-eared Bat 



Little yellow-eared bats are found from Oaxaca and Veracruz, Mexico, to Brazil 

 and Paraguay (Fig. 63). The Costa Rican subspecies, Vampyressa pusilla thyone, 

 is found throughout Central America. 



This species is found mainly in primary forest habitats, both wet and dry. 

 Basically frugivorous, it has been reported to feed on Acnistes sp. in Costa Rica 

 (Howell and Burch 1974). The reproductive cycle is the usual bimodal polyestry 

 (Wilson 1979). Timm (1984) described the first known tent of little yellow-eared 

 bats, which he found at La Selva. This species cuts the basal nerves of Philoden- 

 dron leaves such that the sides of the leaf roll downward to form a pyramid-shaped 

 tent. Brooke (1987b) found 128 V. pusilla tents in Philodendron at La Selva over 

 a several month period; seven of the tents were occupied, most by single bats. 

 Biology of V. pusilla was summarized by Lewis and Wilson (1987). 



Goodwin (1946) reported the first Costa Rican specimens from Agua Buena, 

 Puntarenas Province. Armstrong (1969) reported on specimens from the Osa Penin- 

 sula, and on one collected in 1961 at La Selva. LaVal and Fitch (1977) captured 

 27 at La Selva and noted that pregnant females were seen in February, April, July, 

 August, and September. A flightless juvenile was collected at La Selva on 17 July 

 1974. 



Specimens examined (7)— Cariblanco [1 female, KU]; Finca La Selva, 3 km 

 S of Puerto Viejo, 70 m [1 male, FMNH; 1 male, 1 female, KU; 2 males, 1 sex ?, 

 MSB]. 



Additional record (1)— 1.5 mi S of Cariblanco [1 male, MVZ]. 

 Fig. 63. Little yellow-eared bat, Vampyressa pusilla. Photo by R. K. LaVal. 



