Close bat species in Ukrainian fauna: differences and position in pattern of communities

Abstract

Summaries of taxonomic revisions, analysis of identification criteria, spatial and eco-morphological differentiation of close pairs of species are summed up. Five superspecies are considered: Myotis “myotis”, Myotis “mystacinus”, Plecotus “auritus”, Pipistrellus “pipistrellus”, Eptesicus “serotinus” and other problematic pairs. The distribution of species by the forearm length as the key ecomorphological character (EMC) is analyzed. It is shown that stable groups are formed from species with a wide distribution of EMC without their overlapping. However, the superspecies, which include siblings and generally close species, are characterized by considerable spatial differentiation (allopatry). All pairs of close species are characterized by one of four statuses: 1) they are alopatric (e.g. the group Eptesicus "serotinus" and partly Myotis "mystacinus"), 2) they are marginal sympatric (M. "myotis"), 3) primary alopatry is excited by the expansion of one species into the range of another one (Plecotus "auritus"), 4) sympatry is unnatural and is determined by the synanthropy of one of them (Pipistrellus "pipistrellus").

Keywords

• bats
• taxonomy
• distribution
• differences
• ecomorphology