Noteworthy records of Myotis Kaup, 1829 species in northeastern Guatemala, including the first record of M. volans (H. Allen, 1866) (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae) from the country

Abstract

Myotis is the most diverse genus of bats in Central America, with 10 species currently reported for Guatemala. Here, we present the first record of M. volans (H. Allen, 1866), and third record of M. auriculus Baker & Stains, 1955 in Guatemala, both from the cloud forest of the highlands of Sierra de las Minas Biosphere Reserve. This new locality may serve as one of the southernmost habitats akin to North American ecosystems for these two species. Our record of M. volans increases the number of bats in Guatemala to 105. Our findings underscore the importance of further research to understand patterns of biodiversity in Guatemala and Central America.

Keywords

• Bats
• cloud forest
• distribution limit
• range exte