''Mormopterus'' is a genus of

molossid The Molossidae, or free-tailed bats, are a family of bats within the order Chiroptera. The Molossidae is the fourth-largest family of bats, containing about 110 species as of 2012. They are generally quite robust, and consist of many strong-flyi ...

microchiropterans, small flying mammals referred to as free-tailed bats. The genus has been the subject of several revisions, and the diversity of taxa centred on Australia were separated to a new genus ''

Ozimops ''Ozimops'' is a genus of molossid bats found in Australia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Description ''Ozimops'' are small and stout microbats, with forearm measurement ranging from 29 to 41 millimetres and weigh from 6 to 18 grams. The ea ...

'', and two monotypic genera, '' Setirostris'' and '' Micronomus''. The species of ''Mormopterus'', in this stricter sense, are only found in areas outside of Australia and West Papua.

Taxonomy

A description of the genus was published in 1865 by

Wilhelm Peters Wilhelm Karl Hartwich (or Hartwig) Peters (22 April 1815 in Koldenbüttel – 20 April 1883) was a German natural history, naturalist and explorer. He was assistant to the anatomist Johannes Peter Müller and later became curator of the Natural ...

, as a new subgenus allied to '' Nyctinomus''. While the species-level taxonomy became better resolved, the integrity of the genus ''Mormopterus'' as it stood was less clear and molecular sequencing data indicated that ''Mormopterus'' was

paraphyletic In taxonomy (general), taxonomy, a group is paraphyletic if it consists of the group's most recent common ancestor, last common ancestor and most of its descendants, excluding a few Monophyly, monophyletic subgroups. The group is said to be pa ...

. The closest relatives of '' M. kalinowski'' are members of ''

Nyctinomops ''Nyctinomops'' is a genus of bat Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats ...

''. Further phylogenetic work is required to resolve the relationships of the species’ groups from the three regional areas, and what their relationships are to other molossid genera. Investigations of Australian bat

systematics Biological systematics is the study of the diversification of living forms, both past and present, and the relationships among living things through time. Relationships are visualized as evolutionary trees (synonyms: cladograms, phylogenetic tre ...

have resulted in species confusion, which has in turn inhibited other research and recognition for the purpose of

conservation Conservation is the preservation or efficient use of resources, or the conservation of various quantities under physical laws. Conservation may also refer to: Environment and natural resources * Nature conservation, the protection and manageme ...

; ''Mormopterus'' had presented the greatest difficulties to taxonomic workers. A revision in 2014 used a multilocus approach, combining morphological and molecular analysis to further separate the genus; this recognised the subgenus ''Micronomus'' and erected two new taxa, subgenera ''Setirostris'' (monotypic) and ''Ozimops'', which circumscribed four accepted and three new species of ''Mormopterus''. Prior to this revision some taxa were given tentative labels of convenience by workers, ''Mormopterus'' sp. 1, 2, 3 ... , following a molecular study in 1998 that identified probable species without publishing descriptions. The

Australian Faunal Directory The Australian Faunal Directory (AFD) is an online catalogue of taxonomic and biological information on all animal species known to occur within Australia. It is a program of the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water of th ...

, citing a 2015 taxonomic publication that elevated subgenera published in a 2014 review, recognises genera ''

'', '' Setirostris'' and '' Micronomus'' and the new generic combinations of taxa formerly assigned to this genus.

Diversity

The genus ''Mormopterus'' has seven species occurring in geographically disparate locations, three species from the west Indian Ocean region (Madagascar and the Mascarene Islands and possibly South Africa and Ethiopia), one species from western Indonesia (known from a single specimen from

Sumatra Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...

) that appears to be related to the above three species; and three species from the neotropics (the western side of South America as far south as northern Chile, and Cuba). The former subgenus ''

'', later elevated to genus, is most diverse in Australia, although also found in the

Indonesian Archipelago The islands of Indonesia, also known as the Indonesian Archipelago ( id, Kepulauan Indonesia) or Nusantara, may refer either to the islands comprising the country of Indonesia or to the geographical groups which include its islands. History ...

, Halmahera, Ambon, Seram and West Papua, and in Papua New Guinea. The two monotypic subgenera ''Micronomus'' and ''Setirostris'', also elevated to genus, are endemic to Australia.

Species

The intergeneric arrangement, prior to 2014 elevation of the four

subgenera In biology, a subgenus (plural: subgenera) is a taxonomic rank directly below genus. In the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between t ...

, may be summarised as: *Subgenus ''

Mormopterus ''Mormopterus'' is a genus of molossid microchiropterans, small flying mammals referred to as free-tailed bats. The genus has been the subject of several revisions, and the diversity of taxa centred on Australia were separated to a new genus ''O ...

'' ** '' Mormopterus acetabulosus'' Natal free-tailed bat ** '' Mormopterus francoismoutoui'', Reunion free-tailed bat ** '' Mormopterus doriae'' Sumatran mastiff bat ** '' Mormopterus jugularis'' Peters's wrinkle-lipped bat ** '' Mormopterus kalinowskii'' Kalinowski's mastiff bat ** '' Mormopterus minutus'' little goblin bat ** '' Mormopterus phrudus'' Incan little mastiff bat

Synonyms

Synonyms of mainly Australian species, later recognised as new genera. *Subgenus '' Micronomus'' **'' Mormopterus norfolkensis'' East-coast free-tailed bat, *Subgenus '' Setirostris'' ** '' Mormopterus eleryi'' bristle-faced free-tailed bat *Subgenus ''

'' ** '' Mormopterus planiceps'', southern free-tailed bat, ** '' Mormopterus beccarii'', Beccari's mastiff bat ** ''

Mormopterus loriae ''Ozimops loriae'' is a species of bat found in Australia and Papua New Guinea. The common names include Loria's mastiff bat and little northern free-tailed bat. The species was formerly described as ''Mormopterus loriae'', and assigned to an A ...

'', Loria's mastiff bat, little Papuan mastiff bat ** ''

Mormopterus petersi ''Ozimops petersi'', the inland free-tailed bat is a species of bat found in Australia. It is notable for being able to tolerate the most extreme body temperature range of any known mammal. Taxonomy It was initially described in 1884 by Swedis ...

'', inland free-tailed bat ** ''

Mormopterus kitcheneri ''Ozimops kitcheneri'', the south-western free-tailed bat, is a species of molossid bat found in Southwest Australia. A small flying mammal, it forages in forests and woodlands for insects. Taxonomy The description as a new species was publi ...

'', south-western free-tailed bat ** '' Mormopterus ridei'', eastern free-tailed bat, ** '' Mormopterus lumsdenae,'' northern free-tailed bat ** '' Mormopterus halli,'' Cape York free-tailed bat ** '' Mormopterus cobourgianus,'' mangrove free-tailed bat In addition, Peters's flat-headed bat (''Platymops setiger'') and Roberts's flat-headed bat (''Sauromys petrophilus'') were once thought to belong to this genus.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2579356 Bats of Australia Mammals of South Australia Molossidae Bat genera Taxa named by Wilhelm Peters