Catalogue of primary types of Neotropical Myotis (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae)

Abstract

Myotiscomprises a diverse group of vespertilionid bats with worldwide distribution. NeotropicalMyotishave an accentuated phenotypic conservatism, which makes species delimitation and identification difficult, hindering our understanding of the diversity, distribution, and phylogenetic relationships of taxa. To encourage new systematic reviews of the genus, a catalogue of the primary types and names is presented, current and in synonymy, for NeotropicalMyotis. Currently 33 valid species (and three subspecies) are recognized, and their primary types are deposited in 12 scientific collections in the USA (30 types), Brazil (two types), England (two types), and France (one type). The names of 29 NeotropicalMyotisspecies currently in synonymy were found. However, it is possible that some synonyms represent independent evolutionary lineages, considering recent results provided by taxonomic revisions.