Original scientific paper

Morphology and mitochondrial DNA sequences show that Plecotus alpinus Kiefer & Veith, 2002 and Plecotus microdontus Spitzenberger, 2002 are synonyms of Plecotus macrobullaris Kuzjakin, 1965

F. Spitzenberger
P. Strelkov
E. Haring

Abstract

Genetic and morphological analyses of long-eared bats from Northern Ossetia and other Caucasian localities revealed that the sister clade of Plecotus auritus discovered in the Eastern Alps (SPITZENBERGER et al., 2001) and described as a new species by Spitzenberger (SPITZENBERGER et al., 2002) (Plecotus microdontus) and by KIEFER & VEITH (2002) (Plecotus alpinus) is conspecific with Plecotus macrobullaris Kuzyakin, 1965, described as a subspecies of P. auritus, from the vicinity of Vladikavkaz. The valid name for this species therefore is Plecotus macrobullaris. P. macrobullaris also occurs in central and eastern Turkey. Morphological as well as genetic analyses differentiate between an eastern and a western group within P. macrobullaris. From a morphological comparison of specimens of P. macrobullaris with the type specimens of Plecotus wardi from Kashmir we conclude that macrobullaris is not conspecific with wardi.

Keywords

Vespertilionidae; Plecotus; mitochondrial control region; morphological characters; Caucasus; Asia Minor; Alps; Croatia; Northern Italy; taxonomy; nomenclature

Hrčak ID:

11440

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/11440

Publication date:

30.6.2003.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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