An integrative approach to characterize Malagasy bats of the subfamily Vespertilioninae Gray, 1821, with the description of a new species of Hypsugo

摘要

Although important advances have been made in recent years in the taxonomy of different families and subfamiliesof Malagasy bats, those belonging to the Vespertilioninae remain partially unresolved. Herein using a mitochondrialmarker (cytochrome b) as the point of departure for 76 specimens of Malagasy vespers and appropriate Africantaxa, we diagnose the six taxa of this subfamily on the island by overlaying different morphological and bioacousticcharacters on the clade structure of sequenced animals. The species include: endemic Neoromicia matroka, whichis sister to African N. capensis; endemics N. malagasyensis and N. robertsi, which form sister species; a memberof the genus Hypsugo, which is sister to African H. anchietae and described herein as new to science; Pipistrellushesperidus for which Madagascar animals are genetically close but distinct from African populations of the samespecies; and endemic P. raceyi, which shows segregation of eastern (mesic) and western (dry) populations and itssister species relationships are unresolved. While the external and craniodental measurements, as well as bioacoustics variables, allow only partial differentiation of these six species of Vespertilioninae, molecular characters providedefinitive separation of the taxa, as do male bacular morphology.