The vespertilionid vomeronasal organ: an investigation on the VNO of Scotophilus (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae)

Among adult bats, a vomeronasal organ (VNO) is known only for the New World families Phyllostomidae and Mormoopidae, and for the Old World vespertilio nid subfamily Miniopterinae. However, Koike (1924) reported the presence of a well-developed VNO in embryos of Scotophilus Kuhlii (= S. temmincki), a vespertilionid from Java of the subfamily Vespertilioninae. Given that a VN O has not been described for any other member of Vespertilioninae, we colle cted and serially sectioned adults and embryos of two species of Scotophilu s (S. kuhlii and S. heathi) from Varanasi, India to check Koike's observati on. A careful search revealed the complete absence of the VNO in the adults and embryos of both species. We conclude that the embryos described by Koi ke as having a well-developed VNO were attributed to S kuhlii in error. The specimens described by Koike may have been confused with other bats from J ava, whose adults and embryos are known to have a well-developed VNO (i.e., the miniopterine Miniopterus schreibersii) or a rudimentary VNO, an epithe lial tube without neuroepithelium (i.e., various rhinolophids).