Generic status of the American pipistrelles (Vespertilionidae) with description of a new genus

Publication Type:Journal Article
Year of Publication:2006
Authors:S. R. Hoofer, Van Den Bussche, R. A., Horáček, I.
Journal:J. Mamm.
Volume:87
Pagination:981-992
Date Published:2006
Keywords:[Neoromicia] Eptesicus matroka, [Pipistrellus bellieri] Hypsugo eisentrauti, Arielulus circumdatus, Arielulus cuprosus, Chiroptera, Eptesicus bobrinskoi, Eptesicus brasiliensis, Eptesicus dimissus, Eptesicus floweri, Eptesicus furinalis, Eptesicus fuscus, Eptesicus nasutus, Falsistrellus tasmaniensis, Glauconycteris argentata, Glauconycteris poensis, Glauconycteris variegata, Glischropus tylopus, Hesperoptenus blanfordi, Hesperoptenus tickelli, Hesperoptenus tomesi, Hypsugo affinis, Hypsugo alaschanicus, Hypsugo arabicus, Hypsugo ariel, Hypsugo bodenheimeri, Hypsugo cadornae, Hypsugo imbricatus, Hypsugo joffrei, Hypsugo kitcheneri, Hypsugo macrotis, Hypsugo musciculus, Hypsugo pulveratus, Hypsugo savii, Hypsugo vordermanni, Laephotis angolensis, Laephotis botswanae, Laephotis wintoni, Lasiurus cinereus, Lasiurus ega, Mimetillus moloneyi, morphology, Neoromicia brunneus, Neoromicia capensis, Neoromicia guineensis, Neoromicia nanus, Neoromicia rendalli, Neoromicia somalicus, Neoromicia zuluensis, Nyctalus azoreum, Nycticeinops schlieffenii, Nycticeius humeralis, Parastrellus hesperus, Parastrellus nov. gen., Perimyotis subflavus, Philetor brachypterus, phylogeny, Pipistrellus abramus, Pipistrellus ceylonicus, Pipistrellus collinus, Pipistrellus coromandra, Pipistrellus inexspectatus, Pipistrellus javanicus, Pipistrellus kuhlii, Pipistrellus maderensis, Pipistrellus mordax, Pipistrellus nanulus, Pipistrellus nathusii, Pipistrellus papuanus, Pipistrellus paterculus, Pipistrellus pipistrellus, Pipistrellus pygmaeus, Pipistrellus rueppellii, Pipistrellus rusticus, Pipistrellus stenopterus, Pipistrellus tenuis (mimus), Pipistrellus tramatus, Scotoecus albigula, Scotoecus hindei [hirundo], Scotoecus pallidus, Scotozous dormeri, systematics, taxonomy, Tomopeas ravus, Tylonycteris pachypus, Tylonycteris robustula, Vespadelus pumilus
Abstract:

Although traditionally placed in the genus Pipistrellus, studies since the mid-1900s have shown that the western pipistrelle (P. hesperus) and eastern pipistrelle (P. subflavus), the only 2 representatives of Pipistrellus-like bats in the Western Hemisphere, do not share a most recent common ancestry with true Pipistrellus or each other. More than 20 years ago, authors recommended taxonomic revision for the American pipistrelles by placing subflavus in a separate genus called Perimyotis, and hesperus in a another separate genus called "Parastrellus." Recently, a comprehensive study of the molecular phylogenetics of vespertilionid bats affirmed these suggested revisions. However, the name "Parastrellus" is currently unavailable according to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature because no formal description of the genus has been provided. In this study, we provide additional morphological and genetic data demonstrating the marked divergence among hesperus, subflavus, Pipistrellus, and other Pipistrellus-like genera, and provide a formal description of a new generic name for the nominal species P. hesperus.

Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith