Revising the diversity within the Dwarf Dog-faced Bat, Molossops temminckii (Chiroptera, Molossidae), with the revalidation of the endangered Molossops griseiventer

Abstract

The genus Molossops includes two monotypic species of insectivore bats distributed in South America: Molossops neglectus and Molossops temminckii. Both can be differentiated, based on sizes, M. temminckii being smaller (forearm less than 33 mm). Despite being monotypic, at least two additional subspecies have been described for M. temminckii, of which M. temminckii griseiventer from the inter-Andean Valley of the Magdalena River in Colombia might represent a valid taxon. To test the taxonomic status of M. t. griseiventer, we reviewed specimens of M. temminckii from cis- and trans-Andean localities in Colombia. We used Cytochrome-b and Cytochrome Oxidase I comparisons to test the phylogenetic position of cis- and trans-Andean samples and compared qualitative morphology, morphometric and bioacoustics. Our results show that M. t. griseiventer is differentiated from cis-Andean specimens, providing further evidence of its validity at the species level. Furthermore, M. temminckii (sensu stricto) is also distributed in Colombia, but both M. griseiventer and M. temminckii are allopatric, with the Andes acting as a barrier. The specific identity of the specimens from the Caribbean Region of Colombia needs a new evaluation, but our results clearly show that the diversity of Molossops is underestimated.