The genus Miniopterus is a monophyletic assemblage of many species characterized by remarkably conservative morphology. The number of recognized species has more than doubled over the last two decades, mainly with newly recognized Afrotropical and Malagasy species. A molecular phylogenetic analysis based on cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) revealed a monophyletic clade of Miniopterus from Sri Lanka and southern India that is distinct from the other known taxa of this genus. The mean uncorrected pairwise sequence divergence among the three gene sequences of this new Miniopterus lineage was 0.83% (range 0.4–1.2%) and between this and other sampled taxa was 12.7% (range 8.5–15.9%). This lineage was also distinctive in craniodental morphometrics and hence it is herein described as a new species. The newly described species is easily distinguished by its external and cranial dimensions from its smaller (M. pusillus) and larger (M. magnater) congeners in India and Sri Lanka. It is also somewhat smaller than M. fuliginosus in both external and cranial dimensions. This is the first description of a new Miniopterus species from Asia in six decades and from India and Sri Lanka in eight decades. Our study highlights the importance of using both genetic and morphometric analyses in taxonomic studies on South Asian bats.

The ecology of the high-altitude mountains of northern Mozambique is understudied in comparison to surrounding countries. A series of biological surveys have focused on filling this data gap, with Mount Namuli in Zambezia Province one of the focal sites of these expeditions. A biological survey of Mount Namuli in 2009 resulted in the collection of five specimens of a horseshoe bat species (Rhinolophidae) that is here described as a new species from Mozambique. Morphologically, the new species is very similar to Rhinolophus maendeleo Kock, Csorba and Howell, 2000 of the adami-group, but lacks some key morphological characters of this group (large ears, narrow skull, long palate). Molecular reconstructions clearly suggest the new species belongs to the capensis-group, but no members of the adami-group were included in this analysis (due to lacking data). It is thus unclear whether this unexpected phylogenetic position reflects morphological convergences between members of the adami- and capensis-groups, or whether the morphology-based adami-group should be reconsidered. The new species and R. maendeleo share similar external and craniodental measurements, but can be distinguished based on a number of key characters. These include the presence of a bony bar forming the interorbital foramena, rostrum shape, ear length and highly differing bacular morphologies. It also differs from the genetically closely related R. denti Thomas, 1904, R. swinnyi Gough, 1908 (including two recently described cryptic species) and R. simulator Andersen, 1904 by non-overlapping external and cranial measurements. The new species echolocates at a mean peak frequency of 76.9 kHz and shows an affinity to forest habitats, which are highly threatened in the surrounding region. It joins other coastal and montane forest endemics in defining the bat fauna of south-eastern Africa.

Vagility, ecological requirements, and forest patches can all influence gene flow among populations. These aspects are critical for the maintenance of genetic diversity in populations. Ectophylla alba is a fruit bat belonging to the family Phyllostomidae with specialized feeding and habitat requirements. Studies examining population genetics in this specialist bat are lacking. In this study, ten microsatellite loci were used to evaluate the current genetic structure of this bat species. Six localities in Costa Rica were evaluated. These localities are included in a landscape with remnants of lowland forests surrounded by cattle pastures, plantations, urban areas, and roads. Our results suggest a genetic population with moderate genetic diversity that was observed at most studied loci, with a statistically non-significant difference between the observed and expected heterozygosity. Most of the genetic variation was observed within rather than among sampled populations. The Mantel test showed a non-significant correlation between genetic diversity and geographic distance. These results suggest that E. alba populations have not shown an effect of habitat fragmentation in the studied area. We argue that the increase of forest patches is too recent to alter genetic diversity among sampled localities. Current migration among populations appears to be high enough to balance allele frequencies among localities.

Bats of the phyllostomid genus Artibeus are primarily frugivorous, and they often are captured carrying the fruits of figs (Ficus spp.) or Cecropia spp. Although two or three species of Artibeus (sensu stricto) are found sympatrically in many regions of the Neotropics, little is known about the potential competitive interactions of these congeners in areas of sympatry. Competition might occur for food, roost sites, or other resources, and might be expressed as spatial or temporal partitioning in feeding or reproduction, as increased displacement of feeding- or foraging-related characters, or as some combination of these factors. These effects might be more pronounced near the distributional limits of the species, where resources might be more limited (both in abundance and diversity), and more patchily distributed. Three species of Artibeus (A. fimbriatus, A. lituratus, and A. planirostris), are at or near their southern or south-western distributional limits in Paraguay. Previous analyses in Paraguay have determined that A. lituratus and A. planirostris are migratory, with A. lituratus being most abundant during the wet season (October–February), and A. planirostris in the variable season (March–May). Artibeus fimbriatus and A. lituratus are relatively more abundant in the Atlantic Forest ecoregion; and A. planirostris in the Cerrado. In this study we examined morphometric variation in wing and craniomandibular characters, as well as reproductive patterns, to further explore the potential niche partitioning along these dimensions that may reduce competition for resources. We tested for morphometric differences among the species, and for geographic and secondary sexual variation in each of the three species. Both wing and craniodental characters vary significantly among species. Artibeus fimbriatus exhibits sexual dimorphism in only one cranial character, and A. lituratus shows sexual dimorphism in three craniodental characters and in all wing characters, whereas A. planirostris is not sexually dimorphic in any character. Weak geographic variation was found in craniodental characters in A. planirostris, and in wing characters in the other two species. Differences were also encountered in the three species' morphometric responses to temperature and precipitation parameters. Evaluating these differences in morphometric patterns in the context of ecoregional and seasonal associations, migratory status and reproductive patterns, we conclude that the three species mitigate competitive pressure through a complex partitioning of available niche space.

Movements of Rhinolophus ferrumequinum in and out of the nursery roost at Stackpole (West Wales, U.K.) were monitored automatically from 1994 to 2018 with simultaneous measurements of roost and external air temperatures. Pups were counted manually in June–July and mean birth dates calculated. Maximal foraging times of the population between 16:00 h and 08:00 h and temperatures at midnight showed three types of activity. These types of activity explained why warmer springs were followed by earlier birth dates. When April was warmer the number of degree days, linked to the activity of night-flying insects, was higher so the maximal foraging times were longer. Hence, mean birth dates were earlier due to faster gestation. The indirect effect of degree days on the birth date, measured by the partial regression coefficient (ß = -0.321), was weaker than the direct effect (ß = -0.628) and the mediating effect of maximal foraging time was significant (P < 0.001). During May–June and June–July bats foraged mainly from dusk to dawn so there was little variation in the maximal foraging times of the population, and it did not significantly mediate the effect of temperature on birth date. Birth dates were later when the external temperatures in June–July were higher (ß = 0.309), but the effect was small (R² = 9.5%). Path analysis further revealed that longer maximal foraging times of the population in April predicted the year-to-year changes in the number of births and subsequently the number of adult females. Maximal foraging times of the population in April were a major influence on birth timing and ultimately determined whether the population grew or declined.

Migrating temperate bats travel hundreds and perhaps thousands of kilometers, which necessitates making use of stopover sites. Migratory birds use stopover sites to rest and refuel for subsequent migratory flights, but it isn't clear what bats do during their comparatively brief stopovers. We used acoustic monitoring to compare activity patterns of migrating silver-haired bats (Lasionycteris noctivagans) and resident big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) at Long Point, Ontario, Canada. From September 1 to October 31 2020 we recorded 4,333 echolocation passes from our two focal species and quatified feeding buzzes in those recordings. Migratory L. noctivagans passed through in two waves, one of which had been identified by previous study, and a second suggesting that the migratory period may be longer than previously identified. Eptesicus fuscus was primarily active only in the early and late parts of the night, in contrast to the activity pattern of L. noctivagans which were similarly active and foraging at dusk and dawn, but also during the middle parts of the night. Our acoustic monitoring data complement previous data collected from bat captures and radiotelemetry to provide further insight into stopover behaviors and ecology of temperate migratory bats.

In the southern Appalachian Mountains of the southeastern USA, bat communities in high-elevation habitats tend to be relatively under-surveyed. High-elevation habitats may provide important habitat to certain species (i.e., migratory tree bats), and may serve as climate refugia during droughts or high temperatures. We conducted an opportunistic acoustic survey of bat communities in ten survey areas in high elevation (1,585–1,920 m a.s.l.) montane Picea rubens (red spruce)-Abies fraseri (Fraser fir) forest in the southern Appalachian Mountains of western North Carolina. In each survey area, we randomly placed three full spectrum acoustic detectors (N = 30) during three seasons (spring, summer and fall) in 2015. We deployed each detector for two five-day periods during each season (n = 900 survey nights). Although we detected seven bat species/groups during the surveys, 73% of echolocation files were attributed to Lasiurus cinereus (hoary bat) and Lasionycteris noctivagans (silver-haired bat). Generally rare in the Appalachians and typically present only at low densities in the summer at mid- and low-elevations, both species were detected at all sites during all seasons. Overall, mean nightly activity of bats was higher in the summer than the spring or fall. We observed 3.7–5 times greater activity of L. cinereus in spruce-fir forests during the summer compared to spring and fall, whereas L. noctivagans had 1.3–5 times more activity in the summer compared to other seasons. After accounting for precipitation events, our finite mixture models showed that season, temperature, elevation, and canopy height influenced L. cinereus activity, whereas season and temperature affected L. noctivagans activity. Our observations suggest that high-elevation spruce-fir forests are providing summer foraging and possibly day-roosting habitat of tree bats not previously documented this far south in North America.

Seasonal swarming by bats in underground sites in late summer and early autumn is increasingly understood to play a vital role in their life-cycle, relating both to nuptial activity and to the use of swarming sites as hibernacula. The common pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) is a largely commensal species in which seasonal swarming often occurs in built structures, which have been hypothesised to serve as mass hibernacula during the coldest part of the winter. A number of detailed studies of P. pipistrellus swarming sites have recorded year-round patterns of activity, as well as the demographic make-up of the visiting bats, but there has been relatively little study of overnight patterns of activity, or how swarming interacts with weather conditions at a variety of scales. This study uses auditory monitoring data, recorded continuously over a 27 month period in a P. pipistrellus swarming site within a built structure in northern England, to derive a detailed phenology of bat activity within the site, and uses generalised additive modelling to explain daily variation in activity in terms of seasonal trends modified by fluctuating weather conditions. Results suggest that cool conditions delay the onset of swarming in spring and late summer, and can suppress swarming behaviour even at the height of the swarming period, leading to a pronounced pulse of activity when temperatures rise, and the extension of activity into mid-Autumn. Roosting also occurred at the study site during the swarming period, and was associated with significant flying during the day in warm temperatures, which may reflect a search for cooler roosting locations. Overnight activity occurred throughout the hibernation period, but little evidence emerged for an influx of bats to a mass hibernaculum at the start of the winter.

Restingas are ecosystems located in the coastal regions of the Atlantic forest, characterized by heterogeneous vegetation of sandy soil. This region has historically come under severe human pressure, and a large portion of these areas have been lost or degraded. The mammalian fauna of restingas is poorly known particularly for bats. This lack of information prevents a better understanding of the biological processes affecting bats and restingas and may severely impair conservation actions. Here we analyze bat species composition, richness, and similarity in 17 restingas sites in Brazil to check whether bat community composition is correlated with geographic distance among sites. We conducted an extensive survey of a published scientific literature to gather data and have a picture of the current knowledge on restinga bats. Until now, 40 bat species are documented in the restingas ecosystems. The richest restinga was in Jurubatiba National Park, and those with the lowest species richness were in Ilha de Cabo Frio, Saquarema, and Barra de Maricá. We found no relationship between geographic distance and dissimilarity on species composition among restingas sites. Although much attention has been paid to sampling this area, it has not been sampled uniformly. In fact, restingas have been undersampled causing a lack of recognition of how important these areas are biologically.

The availability of shelter in karst areas affects the richness, abundance, and assemblage composition of bat species and may play an important role in movement dynamics, activity patterns, and foraging behavior. Our work in the midwestern region in the state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil, showed a high richness of the bat fauna, given the anthropic impact caused by mineral exploration and agricultural activities, thus leaving vegetation islands over karst areas in a vast anthropized matrix. Sampling at 12 sites resulted in 1,444 captures of bats, representing 30 species. Our beta diversity partitioning analyses indicated a pattern of turnover, i.e. species replacement, suggesting that these vegetation fragments may function as ecological springboards or stopping points.

Richness is a key variable for understanding biodiversity, and estimates of species occurrence should be as comprehensive as possible and based on reliable records. The employment of diversified methods to be able to detect species, and of adequate sampling efforts is crucial for estimating the richness of bats occurring in highly complex tropical forests. We herein analyzed the richness of bats from one of the largest remnants of the semideciduous Atlantic Forest from Southeastern Brazil, the state conservation park called Parque Estadual do Rio Doce (PERD), based on data from the 1990s and from 2012 to 2016. Based on mixed sampling techniques, including ground-level and canopy nets, acoustic surveys, and roost searching we have revealed that this single state reserve of PERD has the highest bat richness recorded to date among semideciduous Atlantic Forest locations. A total of 54 bat species have been recorded for PERD, including two recently described species from the genera Thyroptera (Thyropteridae) and Eumops (Molossidae). Our data reinforce the value of diversifying sampling methods and the role of PERD as key area for the conservation of the Atlantic Forest biome.

Spatio-temporal patterns of species richness, Hill numbers, captures per species, feeding guilds, sex ratio, and biomass were studied in a Neotropical bat assemblage during 17 continuous months in four bands (low: 50–150, mid-low: 375–500, mid-high: 975–1,050, and high: 1,950–2,050 m a.s.l.) in an elevational gradient in Costa Rica. We found an effect of elevation on species richness. As expected, species richness was high in the low elevations; unexpectedly, however, we noted that species richness was highest in the mid-high band, a diversity pattern that has not been previously recorded in bats. We also found an effect of precipitation periods on species richness; in particular, at mid-high elevations, when precipitation was intermediate and highest, we observed a larger number of species. When analyzing data separately by feeding ensemble, we found an effect of elevation on species richness for three ensembles: animalivorous bats were more diverse at the mid-low band, nectarivorous bats were more diverse in the mid-high and high bands, and frugivorous bats were more diverse in the mid-low and low bands. Species richness of frugivorous bats was also affected by precipitation; when rainfall was intermediate and highest, we noted a higher species richness of this ensemble. There was no effect of elevation on species richness for the insectivorous, omnivorous or hematophagous ensemble, nor on the species capture, sex ratio or biomass. Our results not only provide further evidence of the importance of lowland forests as reservoirs of high species diversity, but also highlight the importance of tropical premontane rainforests for the conservation of bat communities given their high species richness, particularly for the nectarivorous and frugivorous ensembles. This is particularly relevant not only because this ecosystem has been heavily affected by land use changes in the Neotropical region, but also because the predicted future decrease of precipitation at this elevation could potentially affect overall species richness and particularly for certain feeding ensembles. Thus, conservation efforts in this life zone are of critical importance for maintaining functional and ecological diversity of bat communities in elevational gradients.

When white-nose syndrome arrived in eastern North America, bat colonies declined at an alarming rate and the large-scale mortality events were obvious at caves and mines. However, there is concern that the disease and its impacts will be more difficult to detect in western North America where there are fewer winter roosts with thousands of bats. Thus, documenting and responding to precipitous declines will be more challenging. To allow population-level monitoring, western biologists and land managers need to expand search efforts for colonies. One roosting resource that is under-sampled is cliffs, and although we know bats roost along cliffs, biologists know little about roost-site characteristics or the colonies that reside there. Two methods of identifying bat roosts along cliff systems are to collaborate with rock-climbing citizen scientists who report bat encounters, and another is to conduct rock-climbing surveys for bats. We conducted acoustic surveys, thermal videography, and climber-based surveys along the Front Range of northern Colorado, USA, to find bats and describe their roosting habitat. We climbed 48 routes and located two roosts, and received an additional citizen-science record of a third roost. Bats use cracks that were east facing and approximately 12 m above the ground. Climber-based surveys can locate bats and roosting habitat along cliffs, and identify large colonies to be monitored. Targeting climber-based surveys in areas with recreational-climbing citizen-science records may increase the likelihood of finding bat roosts and bat colonies.

We assessed the degree of preference for food resources consumed by Carollia perspicillata from Macaregua cave (Santander, Colombia), and how these preferences were related to nutrient content. Between July and August of 2015, 160 bats were captured with a capture success of 7.04 individuals-night/hours-network. The fecal samples were processed in the laboratory and seeds that were found were identified taxonomically. The supply of fruit and nutritional value of ripe fruit collected from plant species identified in bat fecal samples were determined. The plant species, Myrsine sp., Neosprucea montana, Duranta repens and Maclura tinctoria accounted for over 85% of total food resources consumed, with nine additional species making up the rest of the sample. The diet was dominated by Myrcia popayanensis, M. tinctoria, Vismia glaziovii, Solanum mauritianum and N. montana. The nutrient contents (sugar, water, lipids, fiber, protein and ash) in their fruits varied significantly. Both male and female C. perspicillata preferred M. popayanensis and, to a lesser extent M. tinctoria. Food resource preferences were related (not linearly) to their nutritional content, with the preferred fruit being those showing intermediate nutrient concentrations. Maclura tinctoria and N. montana are new entries on the list of plant species consumed by C. perspicillata.

In the present paper, we document a previously unknown phenomenon — the feeding of Myotis petax on fresh water pelagic crustaceans. A series of photographs are presented demonstrating the different phases of successful attacks of the bats on the amphipod Macrohectopus branickii. This crustacean, endemic to Lake Baikal, performs vertical migrations in the water column at night and sometimes forms mass accumulations near its surface. The observations presented expand the prey list of the ‘trawling Myotis’ and also supplement the picture of trophic relationships of the pelagic organisms of the ancient and deep Lake Baikal with terrestrial vertebrates.

The ghost bat (Macroderma gigas) is a carnivorous species of bat endemic to northern Australia that roosts in colonies of up to 1,500 individuals. The ghost bat produces a number of social vocalisations, but little is known about the species' behaviour and what role social vocalisations play in interactions between conspecifics. The aim of this study was to construct an ethogram of ghost bat behaviours and to determine the associations between behaviours and social vocalisations. To achieve our aims, we filmed the behaviour of a captive ghost bat colony (one male, five females) using four trail cameras installed within the enclosure over a six-week period, coinciding with the estimated mating season. Video recordings were examined by eye, and solitary and social behaviours were catalogued into distinct behavioural units (e.g. hang-alert, chew, wing-groom, etc.) along with social context and associated social vocalisations, if applicable. To assess the associations between behavioural interactions and social vocalisation types, we combined each of the catalogued social behavioural units into six behavioural classes (eating, grooming, mating, huddling, flying, and fighting) and used generalised linear models to determine which social behavioural classes significantly predicted the production of each vocalisation. There was a strong association between flight behaviour by a member of the colony and the production of the ‘Chirp-trill’ vocalisation by the male member of the colony, suggesting a territorial or mate attraction function. There was also a strong association between fighting behaviour and the production of the ‘Squabble’, ‘Rasp’ and ‘Grumble’ vocalisations, with the Squabble and Rasp likely representing levels of agonistic vocalisations produced by aggressive bats during altercations. The Grumble, on the other hand, was produced by the target of the aggressor and so may function as an appeasement call. The ethogram with its associated social vocalisations provides a formal basis for future behavioural studies in this species and can serve as a template for such studies in other echolocating bats. Our study revealed an unexpected degree of complexity in the behaviour and associated vocalisations in this species and highlights the need for studies of this kind in other bats.

Reports of hair loss in bats in the wild are scarce and have not been summarized. We performed a literature review to summarize the affected species, prevalence, clinic diagnostics, and factors that cause alopecia in bats. We found only 28 studies that reported alopecia in 26 species of bats, within five families. Together, these studies examined 10,186 bats, of which 10.8% had alopecia, with a sex bias to females (3:1). Most studies did not identify a specific ethologic agent responsible for the hair loss. However, alopecia was attributed to five non-exclusive causes: endocrine factors related to reproduction and lactation, ectoparasites, the ingestion of toxins, and environmental stress. In the latter, anthropogenic stressors are of increasing concern — the incidence of alopecia in urban areas reflects reproductive stress, limited food availability, roost disturbance, and pollution in these poor-quality environments. Better reporting of alopecia in bats would help us better understand this pathology and to precisely measure environmental stress in these animals.

The transition to mitigate climate change necessitates a rapid and global diffusion of renewable energy but this should not jeopardise the need to meet similarly important targets for biodiversity. Wind energy is a leading cause of bat mortality globally, yet little is known about the impacts to bats in Africa. I studied these impacts in South Africa to enhance knowledge on wind energy impacts on African bats. I reviewed data from 59 studies published in scientific journals and technical reports of operational monitoring of bat fatalities at wind turbines. Bat fatalities occurred at all operating wind energy facilities in South Africa. Tadarida aegyptiaca accounted for the majority of carcasses, followed by Neoromicia capensis and Miniopterus natalensis. The majority of fatalities were of non-migratory species and occurred between February and April although bats were killed in all months. Bat fatality differed between wind energy facilities in terms of observed fatality/year, estimated fatality/year and estimated fatality/MW/year but these differences could not be explained by broad scale vegetation patterns. Total estimated bat fatality between 2011 and 2020 was 12,601 bats. Mean fatality/MW/year was 2.8 bats. I estimate that between 2013 and 2050, a minimum of 996,974 bats may be killed at South African wind energy facilities. My results present the first estimates of the scale of potential wind energy impacts to bats in South Africa and the African continent.

Network analysis has been used for understanding complex systems in biology for decades. However, scant information is available for networks of antagonistic interactions. The aim of this study was to describe and compare bat-ectoparasite interaction networks in tropical dry forests (TFDs) in the Brazilian Cerrado and Caatinga biomes, which have contrasting environmental conditions and surrounding matrix. Bats and ectoparasites were sampled at six sites in northern and central Minas Gerais State, southeast Brazil. Network connectance, nestedness and number of compartments were compared between regions, as well as bat species richness, abundance and centrality, and ectoparasite specialization. The effect of bat phylogenetic relatedness on the similarity of their associated ectoparasite species was also tested. Bat-ectoparasite networks were nested, connected and highly compartmentalized in TDFs from both regions, with no significant differences in network structure. In addition, host species richness negatively influenced nestedness and connectance, but was positively related to compartment number. These findings are likely related to the high specialization observed for bat-fly species (usually one exclusive parasite species per host), resulting in networks with few interactions. Bat abundance positively affected bat-fly richness, indicating that resource availability is important in determining host-parasite relationships. Finally, phylogenetically related species of bats possessed more similar ectoparasite faunas, which may be associated with evolutionary responses of ectoparasites to escape defensive mechanisms of different bat species. Our results suggest that local bat-ectoparasite interactions are influenced by both ecological factors and evolutionary constraints, but the effects of environmental conditions on network topology deserved further detailed studies.

Some emerging and reemerging diseases have been associated with certain species of bats. These diseases have emerged in anthropogenic environments where the conditions for spillover of infectious agents between bats, domestic animals, and humans are present. Mexico is the country with the fourth highest bat diversity in the world, and some of these bat species live in anthropogenic environments such as a backyard production system. The objective of this study was to analyze the virome of three species of bats (Artibeus spp., Macrotus waterhousii and Pteronotus parnellii) that inhabit roosts near rural backyard farms and have large geographic distributions. Rectal swabs were taken and analyzed by the next-generation sequencing (NGS). Thus, it was possible to study the virome of these bat species which has not been previously reported. In one of them, P. parnellii, sequences of the family Coronaviridae were found. The detected viral communities of these three bat species included mostly bacteriophages while showing low numbers for known animal viruses. Viral diversities varied among the species studied and differed from previous studies. The findings of this research contribute to our knowledge of the virome of bat species which have large geographical distributions and, as in this case, inhabit anthropogenic habitats differing from intensive farms or urban settelments.