New state record and range extension of the Big Crested Mastiff Bat, Promops centralis Thomas, 1915 (Chiroptera, Molossidae), in Veracruz, Mexico

Abstract

The diversity of bats in the Mexican state of Veracruz is high, comprising 89 species. Many of these species deserve special attention because either they remain underrepresented in collections, or they are known from fewer than 5 localities. We confirm the presence of the Big Crested Mastiff Bat (Promops centralis) in Veracruz, and provide additional occurrence records that extend the known geographic distribution of this species by 216 km to the north from previously known sites. Our new record represents the northernmost record of the species on the coastal plain of the Gulf of Mexico. Our findings highlight the presence of gaps in past surveys of mammalian diversity in Veracruz.

Keywords

• Bats
• Chiroptera
• diversity
• geographic distributi