Myotis mystacinus Species Complex (M. mystacinus, M. brandtii, M. alcathoe, M. davidii)

Abstract

The Myotis mystacinus species complex (Whiskered bats) is a group that includes some of the smallest representatives of the genus Myotis (M. mystacinus, M. alcathoe, M. brandtii, and M. davidii), which are morphologically very similar to each other. They are characterized by small feet (less than half of the tibia length), a dark-colored face, notched ears, and by a wing membrane starting from the distal part of the tibia (Benda et al. 2016b; Dietz and Kiefer 2016). Taxonomy of whiskered bats is considered to be one of the most challenging topics in European bats systematics, and it has drawn the attention of many researchers over the years.