Species richness in the genus Miniopterus has been greatly under-reported, with a large number of taxa having been discovered and described in the past two decades. Using molecular, standard morphometrics and acoustic data, we present evidence for the existence of a new species in Mozambique and neighbouring Malawi. Based on cytochrome b (cyt b) and cytochrome oxidase I (COI), the new species is sister to M. minor, from which it is readily distinguishable by its larger size (including non-overlapping forearm measurements, allowing separation in the field). It is distinguishable from sympatric M. mossambicus, itself a newly described taxon from Mozambique, by forearm measurements and a peach-orange wash to the skin around the eyes. In external appearance, it is most similar to M. fraterculus, from which it is only reliably identifiable by multivariate analysis of craniodental features and by a genetic distance of 6.4% in the cyt b gene; the two species also occupy widely differing geographic ranges. The type locality of the new species is Mount Gorongosa, and all known records are from large mountains in central and northern Mozambique and southern Malawi. Further research is required to establish its geographic range and understand its basic ecology. Considering its relatively restricted distribution to threatened montane habitats, we suggest that its global conservation status be urgently assessed.

In order to facilitate taxonomic identification and assess reproductive isolation between Myotis myotis macrocephalicus and M. blythii s.l., at the interface between the Balkan Peninsula and Middle East, we analyzed microsatellite markers and a fragment of the mitochondrial hyper-variable control region. We also examined two external morphological traits of the sampled bats, length of upper tooth row (CM³) and forearm (FA) length, to assess the reliability of distinguishing them morphologically. Myotis blythii s.l. had higher allelic and haplotype richness than M. m. macrocephalicus, supporting the hypothesis that the former was present in Asia Minor before the arrival of M. myotis from Europe. The microsatellite markers analyses suggested that all sampled individuals were ‘pure’ forms of either species. Both species, however, shared a few mitochondrial haplotypes, which seem to document past introgression events rather than the recurrent interbreeding. Length of CM³ and FA increased with longitude in both species. A binary logistic regression model, using CM³ measurements and longitude of the sampling locality, correctly assigned 98% of genetically identified individuals. The sex-specific binary regression models, based on FA measurements and longitude were correct for 96% females and 98% males.

Rhinopoma muscatellum is one of the six species of mouse-tailed bats (Rhinopomatidae) that is common in Iran with over 70 reported localities. We investigated phylogeographic relationships and evolutionary history in this species from Iran using two mitochondrial DNA markers, D-loop region (D-loop, 464 bp) and cytochrome b (Cytb, 726 bp). We found a low degree of genetic diversity in the Iranian populations of R. muscatellum (π = 0.0061 for D-loop and π = 0.0013 for Cytb), that shows the presence of inbreeding and close relationship among the haplotypes. The average genetic divergence between Iranian populations was 0.01–0.57% in D-loop and 0.00–0.14% in Cytb. Here, the phylogenetic trees and statistical parsimony network showed all Iranian samples were grouped in the same clade as R. muscatellum seianum. Results of mismatch distribution analysis, neutrality test, and haplotype networks indicated a recent population expansion. The Bayesian skyline plots based on D-loop and Cytb also showed patterns of population expansion, initiating around 9–6 kyr and 15 kyr, respectively. Time to the most recent common ancestor of the Iranian haplotype was estimated to be between 0.82 to 0.17 Ma (Cytb data).

The species delimitations species of Scotophilus from the of Afro-Malagasy Region remain unresolved. One of the most problematic named taxa is S. borbonicus, which was described based on specimens reputed to be from La Réunion Island, western Indian Ocean. Only one of two specimens mentioned in the description of S. borbonicus sensu stricto has been located in a museum collection and after considerable recent fieldwork on La Réunion, no Scotophilus has been captured. Given that the name borbonicus has priority over other named small Afro-Malagasy forms, this has led to considerable taxonomic ambiguity. We report here on a short mitochondrial sequence from the lectotype of S. borbonicus, which is nested within individuals of S. trujilloi captured in Kenya and Tanzania. These results are best interpreted as the lectotype of S. borbonicus was not obtained on La Réunion but along the eastern coast of Africa. We propose that the best means to resolve potential taxonomic problems, particularly concerning future research on small Afro-Malagasy members of the genus, is to consider the name S. borbonicus a nomen dubium. If indeed individuals of this genus are captured on La Réunion in the future and molecular data obtained, the species in question may be new to science and in need of formal description.

The only representatives of Emballonuridae in the Neotropics are Diclidurini from the subfamily Emballonurinae. In this tribe, karyotype comparison based on G-banding patterns has revealed extensive chromosomal divergence. Here, we present for the first time a detailed karyotype analysis of a Diclidurini species, Saccopteryx bilineata (SBI), by G-banding and cross-species fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) with Myotis myotis (Vespertilionidae) painting probes. The 25 evolutionarily conserved units (ECUs) ancestral to all Chiroptera were found as 37 segments on the 2n = 26 SBI karyotype. Comparison with the karyotype of another Emballonuridae (Emballonura monticola) from South-East Asia revealed a single common derived segment combination, MMY3+MMY22i, pointing to a fast karyotype evolution in Emballonurinae.

Long-eared bats of the genus Plecotus are known to occur predominantly in the Palaearctic Region, and at the margins of the Afrotropical and Indomalayan regions. In 2014, four specimens of the genus Plecotus were collected in a high altitude montane temperate forest in the Hoang Lien National Park, northern Vietnam, representing the first record of Plecotus from the Indochinese subregion, and considerably extending the southern border of the genus' distribution range. Detailed morphological comparisons and phylogenetic reconstructions based on the mitochondrial control region suggest that these specimens can be assigned to P. homochrous, a mountain-dwelling bat from the Himalayas. Moreover, for the first time, we provide information on the species' echolocation call and karyological characteristics. Our results also indicate that the taxonomic status of some Plecotus species recognized by previous studies is doubtful and must be revised. Although rarely encountered, Plecotus is likely to be widely distributed at the higher elevations of the Himalayan chain in southern China and the adjoining northern areas of Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar. Our findings strongly support the importance of the mountainous areas within the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot.

Although the Limpopo River is not perennial in its upper stretches in South Africa, the presence of a narrow riparian forest zone is expected to enhance bat diversity by promoting a wider range of foraging types, but the scale at which this effect may operate is not known. A recent, fine-scale model of bat diversity in Africa suggested that rivers may enhance species richness of bats, but that strong gradients in richness would occur next to rivers especially in savanna areas. We tested this idea by conducting acoustic surveys with bat detectors around six water bodies at distances from 0–12 km from the Limpopo River in two adjacent protected areas, the Mapungubwe National Park and the Venetia Limpopo Nature Reserve. We used a paired design, with each water body having detectors placed at and just away (500–750 m) from it. We found enhanced species richness, diversity and activity at MNP sites closer to the Limpopo (0–5 km) compared with VNR sites located 9–12 km from the Limpopo. Moreover, at VNR but not MNP, the bat community was dominated (32% of calls) by an arid-adapted generalist species, the Cape serotine (Neoromica capensis). Consistent with the proximity of structurally complex riparian vegetation, slow flying, clutter-feeding horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus spp.) were relatively more abundant (12% of calls) at MNP compared with VNR (0.7% of calls). This effect was highly accentuated when correcting for detectability of different species to bat detectors. Proximity to small, natural and artificial water bodies significantly enhanced both species richness and activity, but this effect was much more pronounced at sites > 5 km from the Limpopo compared with sites < 2 km from the Limpopo. We conclude that while major rivers with riparian zones can exert a significant impact on species richness, diversity, activity and community structure of insectivorous bats, this effect may only extend a few kilometres from the river. Protection of riparian zones along rivers in savannas is therefore critical to conserving intact and diverse bat communities.

Nocturnal behavior is a critical life-history trait associated with the evolutionary success of bats. Avian predation, competition with birds, and hyperthermia may explain the origin of this behavior, but it is difficult to assess the validity of these hypotheses due to the rarity of diurnal activity in bats. In Gorgona National Natural Park, Colombia, the population of the lesser sac-winged bat (Emballonuridae: Saccopteryx leptura) has an unusual daylight flight activity, which provides an opportunity to learn about the origin of nocturnality in bats. We described the daylight activity of S. leptura in Gorgona Island and explored the influence of environmental factors at different spatiotemporal scales, potentially involved in this particular behavior. We registered the variation of light intensity and temperature across days, months, and different vegetation canopy covers and assessed their effects on the number of daylight flights. We found that the daytime activity of this insular population increases with vegetation cover, decreases with light intensity and temperature, and varies seasonally. These responses of flying activity to environmental temperature and light intensity seem to be related to avoiding the risk of overheating. Furthermore, bats were also active at night, and daytime flights included echolocation and feeding, which suggest that daytime activity complements but does not replace night-time activity. Consequently, our results provide empirical support for the notion that the nocturnality in bats can reflect the actions of avoiding overheating during the day.

Prior studies of species assemblages of fruit bats in the Philippines have focused on primary and disturbed habitats as the point of comparison. No studies to date have been conducted on assemblages of fruit bats within primary lowland forest vegetation types. This study aimed to determine the fruit bat assemblage in dipterocarp, mangrove and lowland ultramafic forest and their association with these vegetation types. We hypothesize that difference in the diversity and abundance of fruit-producing plants in these habitat types would influence the abundance and diversity of bats. The study was conducted in the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park, Philippines from April to October 2017. Eleven species of fruit bats were captured during the study, in order of decreasing abundance: Rousettus amplexicaudatus, Ptenochirus jagori, Cynopterus brachyotis, Macroglossus minimus, Haplonycteris fischeri, Eonycteris robusta, Desmalopex leucopterus, Eonycteris spelaea, Pteropus vampyrus, Acerodon jubatus and Pteropus hypomelanus. Species richness was highest in dipterocarp forest (11 species), and lowest in the mangrove area (seven species), but species diversity was highest in the lowland ultramafic forest. The study suggests that species diversity and abundance of fruit bats in the different lowland vegetation habitats can be linked to their diet and morphology. Frugivores were strongly associated with dipterocarp forest and lowland ultramafic forest where fruit-producing plant diversity is high. Haplonycteris fischeri, C. brachyotis and P. jagori were more abundant in the dipterocarp than in the ultramafic forest. The abundance of nectarivores varied between vegetation types. Macroglossus minimus was more abundant in the mangrove while E. robusta and R. amplexicaudatus were more abundant in the dipterocarp and ultramafic forest. The difference in plant species composition and abundance may explain the variation in frugivore and nectarivore abundance between vegetation types. No pattern could be discerned for the large flying foxes (A. jubatus, P. hypomelanus, and P. vampyrus) because of few captures in each habitat, except for D. leucopterus, which was frequently captured in lowland ultramafic forest. The low captures of flying foxes may be attributed to the difficulty of capturing high-flying bats. Further research on foraging behavior, fruit selection by bats and the role of forest structure in determining the abundance and distribution of fruit bats is needed.

The annual life cycle of temperate bats is typically accompanied by seasonal movements. In autumn, individuals of several species display very active flying behaviour around preferred locations, often hibernacula, a behaviour called swarming. This behaviour is usually characterized by a strong male-biased sex ratio and is often considered to be related to mating. Alternatively, these groupings may be a social behaviour related to the location and quality assessment of hibernacula and may enable this information to be transferred to juveniles, the maternal guidance hypothesis. Our study reports the results of a weekly survey of a bat community in an abandoned mine in Switzerland from April to October 2009, a period longer than the swarming period. The site is characterized by numerous visiting species as well as a high number of common pipistrelle bats displaying autumnal swarming like behaviour at the entrance of the mines. Thirteen species were present at the site with a total of 1,589 individuals of which 1,404 (88%) were common pipistrelle bats allowing us to focus on intersexual and age variations in their arrival phenology. Although the recapture rate was too low to obtain a reliable population size estimator, our data suggest that the site attracts individuals from a large area, possibly from several different nursing colonies and therefore requires a national conservation status. Adult males were present at the site throughout the study period with a peak from mid-July to the end of August. Females arrived later and both sexes displayed a swarming like behaviour in July and August. During this period, the sex ratio was slightly female biased, an unexpected pattern when compared with other swarming species. The absence of a male-biased sex ratio suggests that swarming behaviour in pipistrelle bats may have functions other than mating. Juveniles of both sexes joined the site about two weeks later suggesting that the maternal guidance hypothesis also did not explain this phenology pattern. The number of days between recaptures was greater for males than females indicating that males stay longer or return more often to the sites than females. Further studies may bring insights to the understanding of the function of swarming in pipistrelle bats.

Changes to bat distribution and habitat associations at the local to sub-landscape scale in the post white-nose syndrome (WNS) environment have received little attention to date despite being critical information for managers. To better understand the spatial nature of bat population declines, we modelled both activity patterns and occupancy from acoustic surveys for the Myotis lucifugus (little brown bat) on Fort Drum Military Installation in New York, USA over 15 summers (2003–2017) that span the pre-WNS, WNS-advent (2008) and post-WNS periods, using a set of generalized linear mixed models and geospatial analysis. Our best supported model indicated significant differences between years with significant declines in activity post-WNS. M. lucifugus activity was most closely associated with woody wetland habitats over the study period, however, the spatial patterns of high activity areas were variable over years, with the areal extent of these high activity areas decreasing post-WNS. Our best supported occupancy model varied by year. However, the null occupancy model [Ψ(.)] was either competing (within 2 ΔAIC units) or was the best supported model. Meaning that none of our environmental variables seemed to impact occupancy, and when they did, these differences were not significant. There was high disagreement between our relative activity models and predictions compared to our occupancy models, suggesting that geographic spatial scale and the resolution of the data impacts model outcome. Our results indicate that continued acoustic monitoring of bat species in the Northeast to assess ongoing temporal and spatial changes in habitat associations and to provide direction for future mist-netting studies should rely more on relative activity as the metric of choice rather than site occupancy.

Bats are found as fatalities at most wind energy facilities around the world, creating a challenge for wind developers to predict risk to bats in an area before building a new facility. Bat echolocation activity surveys are the standard method for assessing risk, but their effectiveness has not been demonstrated. Sites with relatively low pre-construction bat activity rates are predicted to yield relatively low post-construction fatality rates (i.e., low risk), and vice-versa. To test this hypothesis, we ran simple linear regressions on bat activity rates and fatality rates from 49 paired pre- and post-construction studies across the United States and Canada. Bat activity rates did not predict bat fatality rates at wind energy facilities by detector height, by call frequency category of bats, or by season (P > 0.10). One possible explanation for the lack of a predictive relationship is that bat activity patterns may change between the pre- and post-construction periods if bats are attracted to turbines. Indeed, we found support that bat activity rates increased across call frequency category and season at four wind facilities that had measured bat activity rates before (x̄ = 1.89 bat passes/detector-night) and after turbines were built (x̄ = 4.84 bat passes/detector-night). However, simple linear regressions of post-construction activity rates and fatality rates from 25 studies found no correlation between activity and fatality rates collected concurrently by detector height (ground, raised, nacelle) or by call frequency category (P > 0.05). We conclude that the current pre-construction survey methods of collecting bat activity rates at proposed wind energy facilities do not provide reliable information on how many bat fatalities there may be once the facility is built, and advocate exploring other methods for assessing risk to bats prior to wind development.

The urgent need for alternative methods of obtaining clean energy has accelerated wind farm development worldwide. To determine the effects of these facilities on the biodiversity of resident species, we conducted a spatio-temporal measurement on the glucocorticoid contents of four species of frugivorous bats (Artibeus lituratus, A. jamaicensis, Sturnira parvidens, and S. hondurensis) in Oaxaca, Mexico to test for physiological stress. Bats were captured at two sites: one with wind farms and the other without. Blood and feces were collected and cortisol and corticosterone were measured by immunoassay. Glucocorticoid contents were not significantly different between sites with or without wind turbines for any of the four species, although they averaged higher at wind turbine sites. However, cortisol and corticosterone concentrations were different between the dry and rainy seasons. The elevated glucocorticoid levels during the dry season are possibly due to the high degree of physiological stress generated by their reproductive activity. In general, the four phyllostomid bat species found at the wind farms in Oaxaca seem to tolerate or are not adversely affected physiologically by the presence of wind turbines.

Areas used in open-pit mining often undergo sudden and extensive landscape changes, including habitat fragmentation. With mining activity predicted to expand, understanding the impacts of this habitat loss on wildlife is key to developing effective mitigation at new mine developments. Despite this, research into the impacts of open-pit mines in general, and on bat populations in particular, is largely lacking. Here, we investigated potential impacts of a recently re-established open-pit mine in southwest Britain on bat activity in the surrounding landscape, using remote monitoring techniques. Distance from the mine site boundary was found to be an important predictor of bat species richness and activity levels, with the effect on richness extending to approximately 900 m from the site and the effect on activity potentially extending beyond the sampling range (1,200 m). The effect of distance from the site boundary on species richness also varied with the proportion of woodland cover. It appears that habitat loss within the mine site boundary may have reduced bat movement because of barrier effects. The study highlights the need for further research into the impacts of mines on bats.

The proliferation of native, alien, invasive and domestic species offers enough novel and abundant food resources for the common vampire bat, Desmodus rotundus, to potentially alter preferences for prey. By reference to a stable-isotope analysis for carbon and nitrogen, we report here on the choices of introduced mammal prey made by D. rotundus residing on Anchieta Island — a tropical land-bridge island from which domestic animals were removed and 100 individuals of 15 mammal species were introduced intentionally. Our analysis shows that the studied individuals of D. rotundus were more likely to prey upon species of open habitats (mean value of δ¹³C = -14.8‰), that is, animals with high δ¹³C values characterising the consumption of C₄ resources. The δ¹⁵N values for D. rotundus were higher than expected, most likely similar to apex predator species (mean value of 8.2‰) and overlapped the isotopic niche with capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) on the island. Values were in turn distant from those noted for coatis, as well as other potential prey from a preserved area on the mainland (capybaras included), indicating that, from among all the potential mammalian prey species, the studied bats were feeding exclusively on capybaras, which also represent the species with the greatest mammalian biomass on the island. Previous information regarding the time of human occupation suggests that the domestic animals then present on Anchieta Island might have been the main prey of D. rotundus and responsible for maintaining a viable population. As capybaras were introduced only 36 years ago, this suggests a rapid shift in predation preference induced by anthropogenic disturbances that have allowed D. rotundus to exploit these rodents successfully. Records in the literature further show that common vampire bats were not captured in preserved areas of the mainland close to Anchieta Island, indicating that the rate of capture characterising D. rotundus is usually low in natural forested habitats where potential prey are scattered. As three individuals of the introduced population of capybaras were confirmed to have died from bat rabies virus (RABV) in 2020, we advocate periodic monitoring for bat rabies viruses in the D. rotundus population on Anchieta Island (as well as nearby areas), so that the magnitude of the outbreak may be determined and control strategies developed. Such actions are all the more important given that both the island and nearby areas are frequented by tourists. We highlight that the prey choice indicated here is context-dependent, and possibly influenced by the removal of domestic animals, as well as the explosive population growth achieved by the introduced capybaras, in combination with the predictability of their foraging behaviour.

The fishing bat, Noctilio leporinus, is common throughout the West Indies, where it feeds on fish and insects. Anecdotal observations in Cuba suggest that this bat could prey on other species of bats, at least when they are kept together in captivity. We examined the diet of this species at three caves in the northwestern part of Puerto Rico, namely Amador Cave in the Municipality of Camuy, and Ventana and Matos Caves in the Municipality of Arecibo. Four guano traps were set under the roosting sites of N. leporinus once a month. Traps were left overnight and recovered fecal remains were examined in the laboratory under a dissecting microscope. Our results indicate that, in addition to insects and fish, N. leporinus in northwestern Puerto Rico is preying on other species of bats. Three species of bats were recovered under the roosts of N. leporinus. It appears that this behavior is more common during the breeding season of fruit-eating bats, when N. leporinus seem to prey opportunistically on the young of Brachyphylla cavernarum.

Chiroptera is the second largest order of mammals in terms of species richness, yet little data are available on the helminth fauna infecting bats. The goal of this paper was therefore to describe the helminth fauna of a common bat species from the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. We collected 63 individuals of the bat Tadarida brasiliensis in the municipality of Montenegro in March 2015 (33 males and 30 females; 41 adults and 22 juveniles). We identified 451 endoparasites belonging to eight species (i.e. Urotrema scabridum, Limatulum oklahomense, Postorchigenes paraguayensis, Parabascus limatulus, Ochoterenatrema sp., Vampirolepis decipiens, Tadaridanema delicatus, as well as one unidentified species representing the superfamily Microphalloidea). Based on their importance value, we classified two helminth species as ‘dominant’, four as ‘co-dominant’ and two as ‘subordinate'. Vampirolepis decipiens had both the highest prevalence (of 55.5%) and greatest abundance (3.52 parasites/host). We report for the first time P. limatulus in T. brasiliensis in Rio Grande do Sul. This study provides important base-line data to elucidate helminth infestations in T. brasiliensis in Brazil.

The study of parasites and their distributions is an important tool to understand the problems related to population dynamics and the evolution of the interactions between parasites and their hosts. Due in part to the unique adaptations of this group, bats are parasitized by many arthropod lineages, and the flies of the Streblidae and Nycteribiidae families are considered the most conspicuous. Network analysis is an approach that has been growing in recent decades and has contributed greatly to the understanding of ecological systems. The objective of this study is to analyze if the structure of the bat-ectoparasitic networks are consistent along a latitudinal gradient on a global scale. We searched the scientific literature for information about the relationship of bats and their ectoparasitic dipterans of Streblidae and Nycteribiidae using the Scopus, Google Scholar and PubMed databases. For each publication, nesting, connectivity, and modularity parameters were calculated for each network of bats and flies. In order to evaluate if the structure of the networks varies along the latitudinal gradient, we constructed generalized linear models. In general, we observed that the ectoparasite-bat interaction networks have a highly modular structure with low nesting and connectivity values, which is a pattern commonly presented by networks of antagonistic interactions. We also observed that the size of the network significantly influenced the nesting, connectivity and modularity, possibly due to the highly specialized nature of the ectoparasite-bat interaction. The latitude was positively correlated to the connectivity, which can be explained by the lower diversity observed in temperate regions.

The Himalayan region is a global biodiversity hotspot that faces severe pressures from a growing human population, rapid urbanization and climate change. While taxa like birds, plants and butterflies have been effectively surveyed along vast elevational gradients, there is immense paucity in such data for nocturnal and secretive animals like bats. We surveyed 22 sites in Uttarakhand in the western Himalayas spread across 600 m to 3,000 m a.s.l. A total of 35 species from 15 genera and five families were observed. We report the echolocation calls for 32 species, of which nine species have been recorded for the first time in the world. Additionally, we sequenced the cytochrome oxidase-I (COI) gene from 26 individuals belonging to 13 species. Eight species: Tadarida teniotis, Murina leucogaster, Murina aurata, Murina cyclotis, Myotis cf. frater, Myotis cf. annectans, Mirostrellus joffrei, Arielulus circumdatus and Eptesicus tatei are new records for the western Himalayan region. Myotis cf. frater is a new record for the entire Indian Subcontinent. In addition, we present an updated checklist of 49 species of bats for Uttarakhand state by reviewing previous literature. Our study will serve as a crucial baseline for future research by researchers and forest management authorities as the echolocation calls will be used to collect more occurrence data to elucidate the patterns of species richness across elevational gradients and to initiate the monitoring of bat populations.