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| Pipistrellus etula Torrent, Juste, Garin, Aihartza, Dalton, Mamba, Tanshi, Powell, Padidar, Mudarra, Richards & Monadjem, 2025 |
Abstract
The taxonomic conundrum of pipistrelle-like or pipistrelloid bats remains one of the unsolved challenges posed by African Chiroptera. Historically, their cryptic morphology has led to a frequently confused classification and cast doubt on taxonomic arrangements at both genus and species levels. While molecular analyses and extensive reviews of specimens housed in collections worldwide have clarified many systematic relationships among pipistrelloid bats, some species still require validation, leaving gaps in our overall understanding of the systematics of the group. The Congo rainforest, one of Africa's least explored regions, remains underrepresented in systematic studies of pipistrelloid bats. In this study, we combine the use of two mitochondrial genes and cranial morphometric analyses to provide an updated perspective on African pipistrelloid bats, focusing on new material from Equatorial Guinea sampled over multiple years. We confirm the placement of Af. musciculus and Af. crassulus within the genus Afropipistrellus. The former was previously included in Hypsugo, while the latter lacked generic confirmation. Additionally, we describe a new species of Pipistrellus from Bioko Island, Central Africa, uncovered during systematic bat surveys in the region. Further surveys in the Congo rainforest are needed to unveil African bat diversity and its phylogenetic relationships fully.
Africa, baculum, Chiroptera, genus revision, Mammalia, mitochondrial DNA, morphometrics, systematics, taxonomy
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| Portrait of a Pipistrellus etula sp. nov. female captured in Basilé Peak, Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea. Photo by Gerard Carbonell. |
Family Vespertilionidae Gray, 1821
Tribe Pipistrellini Tate, 1942
Genus Pipistrellus Kaup, 1829
Pipistrellus etula Torrent et al., sp. nov.
Bioko pipistrelle
Etymology: ‘etula’ means island or nation in the language of the original Bubi people of Bioko Island.
Laura Torrent, Javier Juste, Inazio Garin, Joxerra Aihartza, Desiré L Dalton, Mnqobi Mamba, Iroro Tanshi, Luke L Powell, Sara Padidar, Juan Luis Garcia Mudarra, Leigh Richards and Ara Monadjem. 2025. Taxonomic Revision of African pipistrelle-like Bats with A New Species from the West Congolean Rainforest. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 204(2); zlaf020, DOI: doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf020 [13 June 2025]
