Two new species of Myotis (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from southwestern China
Received date: 2025-07-05
Accepted date: 2025-09-19
Online published: 2026-06-04
The genus Myotis is one of the most widely distributed genera of terrestrial vertebrates. It includes 140 recognized species worldwide, 29 of which are recorded in China. Ongoing taxonomic research continues to uncover new species within this group. In this study, we employed classical taxonomic approaches, including comparisons of external morphology and cranial characteristics, complemented by molecular biological methods to analyze bats collected from Shuangbai (n = 9) and Yongde (n = 2) in Yunnan Province. The results show that these specimens belong to Myotis, but do not belong to any of the existing Myotis species that have been described, and have reached the genetic distance of species-level differentiation. Therefore, we describe them as two new species: Myotis shuangbaiensis Li & Qian, sp. nov. and Myotis yongdensis Li & Qian, sp. nov. The diagnostic features of Myotis shuangbaiensis include dorsal fur with black bases and light brown tips, and ventral fur with black bases and grayish-white tips. The plagiopatagium attaches to the base of the first toe on the hindfoot. The upper inner incisor (I2) and upper outer incisor (I3) are similar in size. The crown height of the second lower premolar (P2) is less than half that of the lower canine. Both the basal area and crown height of the third lower premolar (P3) are approximately two‑thirds those of the second lower premolar (P2). The diagnostic features of Myotis yongdensis include dark reddish‑brown dorsal fur, and ventral fur with brownish‑black bases and grayish‑white tips. The ventral side of the interfemoral membrane is covered with moderately dense short fur. The plagiopatagium attaches to the base of the metatarsus of the hindfoot. The tragus has a rounded tip. The crown height of the third upper premolar (P3) is approximately half that of the second upper premolar (P2). These findings reveal significant persistent knowledge gaps in Myotis taxonomy and enhance the understanding of biodiversity richness in Southwestern China.
Key words： Myotis; New species; Yunnan; Morphology; Phylogeny
Yishun QIAN , Xin MOU , Bin LUO , Xiaoping LI , Yunli LUO , Song LI . Two new species of Myotis (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from southwestern China[J]. ACTA THERIOLOGICA SINICA, 2026 , 46(3) : 320 -336 . DOI: 10.16829/j.slxb.151123
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| 附录A Myotis sp.1及其相似种的测量数据（体质量单位：g；长度单位：mm） |
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