DOI: 10.3897/vz.76.e182515

Authors: Kun-Hao Chen, Xiao-Yun Wang, Ze-Feng Huang, Yun-Zheng Mo, Yi Wu, Yi-Bo Hu, Yang Yue, Wen-Hua Yu

Abstract: Abstract The taxonomy of genus Myotis (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) has long posed considerable challenges, with numerous species in China remaining poorly defined. To address long-standing taxonomic ambiguities in Chinese Myotis, this study integrates over 15 years of fieldwork and conducts a comprehensive assessment of 197 specimens collected primarily in eastern China, which represent approximately 70% of the country’s known species. Molecular species delimitation, phylogenetic reconstruction, and multivariate analyses of morphological data were jointly employed to reassess species diagnostic traits. Phylogenetic and molecular delimitation supported the validity of 30 Myotis species in China, and resolved several long-debated complexes, including M. davidii, M. siligorensis, and M. frater. Principal component and hierarchical clustering analyses revealed mixed and overlapping patterns among species, particularly within small to medium size taxa. These results highlighted the limitations of traditional morphometric traits for distinguishing closely related Myotis. Initial classification accuracy using morphological traits alone was modest. However, when categorical phenotypic data was added into the dataset, model performance improved markedly: Random forest accuracy increased from 77.9% to 90.5%, and the decision tree model successfully discriminated 16 taxonomic units. These suggested that categorical phenotypic data can substantially enhance identification within morphologically conservative groups. Based on integrative evidence, we established an updated identification key. In addition, high-resolution 3D digital models of craniodental structures were generated to facilitate open access for future research. This study provided a foundation for subsequent phylogeny, ecology, and conservation biology studies on this taxonomically difficult genus.

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DOI: 10.3897/vz.75.e134683

Authors: Uliana V. Gorobeyko, Denis V. Kazakov, Anastasia A. Kadetova, Irina N. Sheremetyeva, Valentin Yu. Guskov, Irina V. Kartavtseva, Nikolai E. Dokuchaev, Evgeniy S. Zakharov, Sergei V. Kruskop

Abstract: Abstract Myotis petax is a common and widespread Asian bat species, whose intraspecific sequence variability remains poorly understood. In this work we analyzed the variability of the mitochondrial control region and craniometric measurements for an extensive sample set originating from the entire species range. This made it possible to identify the main genetic lineages and to compare their distribution with the morphological groups. From our investigations, we found that the prevalent genetic lineages, namely, “Siberia,” “Amur,” and “Okhotsk,” appear to be connected to large river systems. The cohabitation of various genetic lineages occurs only in territories where different river basins are connected, such as the Primorsky Territory, Khabarovsk Territory, Transbaikalia Territory, and Mongolia. Moreover, we discovered that the five morphological groups (Siberia, Okhotsk, Amur, Kunashir, and Korea) are partially correlated with previously identified genetic lineages and subspecies. However, M. p. petax and M. p. loukashkini were the only two out of the five subspecies that could be well-defined using specific mtDNA sequences and morphological descriptions. Nonetheless, the subspecies M. p. ussuriensis does not have a distinct genetic lineage to allow for their classification. Notably, a specific mix of morphological group and a genetic lineage characterize the “Amurian morphological form,” which may support its validity as a subspecies rank. That notwithstanding, more information is needed to fully unravel the intraspecific structure of M. petax in the southern Far East and potential contact zones of diverse forms.

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DOI: 10.3897/vz.74.e127269

Authors: Dorottya Győrössy, Vuong Tan Tu, Gábor Csorba, Sanjan Thapa, Péter Estók, Gábor Földvári, Tamás Görföl

Abstract: Abstract In taxonomic works, the weight to be given to morphological, mitochondrial, or nuclear signals, and the assessment of differences as species or subspecies distinctions has also varied considerably over the past decades and is largely a subjective research decision. This apparent example of the “grey zone of taxonomy” underpins the need of critical studies of as many specimens as possible and of using both mitochondrial and nuclear genes in taxonomic-systematic studies, as phylogeny based on uniparentally inherited genes alone may not represent true evolutionary scenarios. Myotis sicarius, a species occurring thorough the Himalayan foothills was found for the first time out of South Asia, in North Vietnam. Analysis of topotypical and Vietnamese specimens revealed high mitochondrial heterogeneity – at the upper limit of the usual threshold of intraspecific difference – but only minute nuclear sequence and negligible morphological differences. Albeit the large geographic distance between the two records might suggest the existence of two putative reproductively isolated taxonomic units, based on the incongruent results we concluded that the split of geographic populations of M. sicarius into different taxa is unsupported. As a morphologically closely resembling species, we also reviewed the taxonomic status of the two morphological forms of M. annectans and synonymizing M. primula with M. annectans was also corroborated by our phylogenetic analyses.

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DOI: 10.3897/vz.74.e122822

Authors: Micaela A. Chambi Velasquez, Romina Pavé, María A. Argoitia, Pablo Schierloh, María G. Piccirilli, Valeria C. Colombo, Fernando J. Beltrán, Daniel M. Cisterna, Diego A. Caraballo

Abstract: Abstract Understanding species diversity and delineating their boundaries are crucial for effective management and conservation efforts. In the case of bats, species identification holds particular importance from an epidemiological standpoint. The genus Molossus (Chiroptera: Molossidae) encompasses 15 species distributed across the Neotropics, ranging from the southeastern United States to Argentina. This genus exhibits two contrasting patterns of variation: some species are cryptic, while others are morphologically distinct yet genetically similar. This study explores the diversity of Molossus in Argentina through a molecular phylogenetic approach. We analyzed sequences from three molecular markers (cyt b, COI, and FGB) along with morphology data obtained from a sample of 64 individuals. Uni- and multivariate analyses of external and cranial measurements were conducted, alongside comparisons of external and cranial characteristics among species. Based on molecular and morphological differences, we describe a new species within the Molossus genus. This newly discovered species exhibits a broad distribution spanning the Paraná River basin across three distinct ecoregions. It is noteworthy that this species is pseudo-cryptic with respect to similar-sized species such as M. molossus and M. melini. Additionally, it is important to mention that all species in Argentina have overlapping distribution ranges. In summary, this study provides valuable insights into the diversity and distribution of Molossus bats in Argentina, employing molecular and morphological analyses. The discovery of a new species underscores the ongoing importance of comprehensive research efforts in understanding and conserving bat populations in the Neotropics.

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DOI: 10.3897/vz.73.e101487

Authors: Vuong Tan Tu, Neil M. Furey, Tamás Görföl, Alexandre Hassanin, Satoru Arai, Daisuke Koyabu, Bounsavane Douangboubpha, Gábor Csorba

Abstract: This study integrates analyses of mitochondrial DNA sequences and morphological and acoustic data to re-evaluate the taxonomic status of Rhinolophus rex rex, R. r. paradoxolophus and R. schnitzleri throughout their distribution ranges. Based on a dense geographic sampling of specimens hitherto referred to these taxa and contrary to the current taxonomic view, our results indicate that all examined specimens of these taxa are representatives of a single, widely distributed and morphologically variable species, R. rex. The recognition of its geographic populations as different subspecies (R. r. rex and R. r. paradoxolophus) or distinct species (R. schnitzleri) based on morphological and acoustic data should be regarded as invalid. In the light of this revision, we also reassess the conservation status of R. rex against IUCN Red List criteria as Near Threatened.

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DOI: 10.3897/vz.72.e90958

Authors: Roberto Leonan M. Novaes, Vinícius C. Cláudio, M. Mónica Díaz, Don E. Wilson, Marcelo Weksler, Ricardo Moratelli

Abstract: Myotis is the most speciose genus of mammals in the world and recent taxonomic revisions have revealed an impressive diversity of species in South America. Even so, the phenotypic conservatism of some taxa makes taxonomic delimitation difficult. We perform a taxonomic review of Myotis from Argentina based on qualitative and quantitative morphological characters. Our results confirm the occurrence of 12 species (M. albescens, M. chiloensis, M. dinellii, M. izecksohni, M. keaysi, M. lavali, M. levis, M. nigricans, M. oxyotus, M. riparius, M. ruber, and M. cf. simus) and revealed an additional new species for the Yungas Forest. The new species is small to medium (forearm length ~ 35 mm) and can be distinguished from its congeners by a set of characters that includes forearm length, cranial measurements, discrete craniodental characters, and fur color. This review does not exhaust the need for new systematic studies with Argentinean Myotis, considering the possibility of occurrence of new species and the great morphological variation found for some complex taxa.

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DOI: 10.3897/vz.71.e73146

Authors: Roberto Leonan M. Novaes, Don E. Wilson, Ricardo Moratelli

Abstract: Abstract The genus Myotis comprises a diverse group of vesper bats with worldwide distribution. Twenty-eight neotropical species are currently recognized. Based on a morphological approach, we describe a new species of Myotis from the Uruguayan Pampas grasslands, an ecoregion under high anthropogenic pressure with a largely unknown bat fauna. Qualitative and quantitative morphological analyses support the recognition of the new species and we present a set of external and cranial diagnostic characters by comparing them with other neotropical Myotis species. The new species reassembles Myotis riparius, but can be distinguished by a set of qualitative and quantitative morphological traits, including its clearly bicolored dorsal fur, tricolored ventral fur, a pelage on the dorsal surface of uropatagium, sagittal crest lower, braincase lower in lateral view and overall smaller size.

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