SPECIFIC STATUS OF POPULATIONS IN THE MASCARENE ISLANDS REFERRED TO MORMOPTERUS ACETABULOSUS (CHIROPTERA: MOLOSSIDAE), WITH DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SPECIES

Oil the basis of molecular and morphological evidence, Mormopterus acetabulosus, hitherto considered an endemic to the Mascarene Islands (Mauritius and La Reunion), is shown to comprise 2 closely related taxa. The holotype of M. acetabulosus is from Mauritius and file new taxon described herein is from La Reunion. M. acetabulosus from Mauritius is notably larger than members of this genus from La Reunion, and several soft-part and cranial characters distinguish these 2 taxa. This Conclusion is supported by examination of mitochondrial DNA control re-ion data for 141 bats, which shows these 2 groups to be reciprocally monophyletic, separated by an average of 5.01% uncorrected sequence divergence. Two nuclear intron regions (7th intron of the beta fibrinogen gene and thyrotropin) also Were included, but showed limited genetic variation and no fixed differences between the 2 taxa. These 2 species of Mormopterus are common oil Mauritius and La Reunion, often living in caves or synanthropically, and are not considered a conservation concern.