The Manavi long-fingered bat (Miniopterus manavi ) is a bat in the genus Miniopterus that occurs in east-central Madagascar. First described in 1906, this species was later included in the mainland African M. minor. A 1995 revision united populations of small Miniopterus from Madagascar and the Comoros as M. manavi, but molecular and morphological studies in 2008 and 2009 showed that this concept of M. manavi in fact included five different species. M. manavi itself was restricted to a few locations in the eastern Central Highlands and populations in the Comoros and northern and western Madagascar were allocated to different species.
Miniopterus manavi is a small, blackish or reddish-brown Miniopterus ; its forearm length is 37.6 to 39.2 mm (1.48 to 1.54 in). The tragus (a projection in the outer ear) is narrow and ends in an angular tip. The uropatagium (tail membrane) is well-furred and the palate is flat.
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starts withMiniopterus manavi is a diminutive species with fur of medium length. The upperparts are blackish or reddish brown. Other small Malagasy Miniopterus are lighter. The ears mostly lack hair and end in a rounded tip. The tragus (a projection on the inner side of the outer ear) is thin for most of its length, ends in an angular tip, and has a flange at the medial side (towards the midline of the animal). The tragus is differently shaped in other species. The wings and uropatagium (tail membrane) are blackish and are attached to the upper leg at the same level, above the ankle. The uropatagium is densely haired above and more sparsely below, as in M. mahafaliensis and M. brachytragos ; M. griveaudi and M. aelleni have more nearly naked uropatagia.
In the single specimen of true M. manavi that Goodman and colleagues could measure, total length is 90 mm (3.5 in), tail length is 39 mm (1.5 in), hindfoot length is 6 mm (0.24 in), tragus length is 6 mm (0.24 in), ear length is 10 mm (0.39 in), and body mass is 6.4 g (0.23 oz). The length of the forearm is known from four specimens; it ranges from 37.6 to 39.2 mm (1.48 to 1.54 in), averaging 38.5 mm (1.52 in).
In the skull, the rostrum (front part) is rounded. The central groove in the nasal depression is relatively narrow. The frontal bones are inflated and bear a prominent sagittal crest. Further back on the braincase, the lambdoid crest is poorly developed. The middle part of the palate is flat, not concave as in M. brachytragos, M. griveaudi, and M. mahafaliensis. At the palate's back margin is a short, thick posterior palatal spine.
The currently known distribution of M. manavi extends around the eastern margin of the Central Highlands, from the vicinity of Ambositra in the north to Vinanitelo in the south, at 900 to 1,500 m (3,000 to 4,900 ft) above sea level. The 2008 IUCN Red List assesses the species as "Least Concern", citing its wide distribution, though it is sometimes hunted for food. However, the account predates the recognition of M. aelleni, M. brachytragos, M. griveaudi, and M. mahafaliensis as separate species. Although some ecological data about M. manavi have been published, these need to be reevaluated with the recognition of numerous additional species within M. manavi. Species of Miniopterus generally feed on insects, breed seasonally, and roost in large colonies in caves. The myobiid mite Calcarmyobia comoresensis has been recorded on M. manavi.
