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| Nyctophilus holtorum Parnaby, King & Eldridge, 2021 photo: Terry Reardon |
Abstract
A distributional isolate in southwestern Western Australia previously assigned to Gould’s Long-eared Bat Nyctophilus gouldi Tomes, 1858 is demonstrated to be a distinct and previously unnamed cryptic species, based on a lack of monophyly with eastern populations and substantial DNA sequence divergence (5.0 %) at the mitochondrial gene COI. Morphologically both species are alike and overlap in all measured characters but differ in braincase shape. The new species has one of the most restricted geographic ranges of any Australian Vespertilionidae and aspects of its ecology make it vulnerable to human impacts.
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| Frontal view of AM M.39811, male, paratype of Nyctophilus holtorum sp. nov. showing enlarged dorsal snout mound posterior to the noseleaf. Scale 5 mm. |
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| Holt’s Long-eared bat (Nyctophilus holtorum sp. nov.) is confined to the forests of southwest Western Australia. photo: Terry Reardon |
Nyctophilus holtorum sp. nov.
Diagnosis: A species of medium body size for the genus, closely resembling N. gouldi sensu stricto in external appearance, cranial and dental morphology but differs by an average sequence divergence of 5.0 % at the mitochondrial gene COI. It differs further in that the braincase tends to be broader for N. gouldi sensu stricto of equivalent GSL (Figs 3 and 4), as reflected by greater MASB (Fig. 3a); the anterior of the braincase tends to be more inflated laterally, and the skull tends to be relatively shorter e.g., FA vs. GSL (Fig. 3c) and FA vs. CM3 (Fig. 3d).
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Etymology. Named in honour of the late Dr John Holt and Mrs Mary Holt in recognition of their generous long-term support of Australian biodiversity research and conservation.
Distribution. Restricted to four IBRA regions in far southwestern Western Australia (Fig. 6). We are aware of only one voucher-based locality record from the southern Avon Wheatbelt (from the Tambellup district), a region that has been extensively cleared of native vegetation. The specimen (WAM M.593) was collected by F. R. Bradshaw and registered in 1923 (probably Frederick Robert Bradshaw of Tambellup, Whittell, 1954). The species is primarily found in taller marri and jarrah forests with a dense shrubby understory. Two other Nyctophilus species are sympatric with N. holtorum sp. nov., N. major and N. geoffroyi.
Common name. Holt’s Long-eared Bat.
Harry E. Parnaby, Andrew G. King and Mark D. B. Eldridge. 2021. A New Bat Species from southwestern Western Australia, previously Assigned to Gould’s Long-eared Bat Nyctophilus gouldi Tomes, 1858. Records of the Australian Museum. 73(1); 53–66. DOI: 10.3853/j.2201-4349.73.2021.1766
Holt’s Long-eared Bat: A new cryptic species discovered in Western Australia
