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RESEARCH PRODUCT

A New species of long-eared bat (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae) from Sardinia (Italy)

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description

We describe a new species of long eared bat, genus Plecotus, from the island of Sardinia (Italy). The new species is clearly distinguishable from other European Plecotus species by its mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene (4.1–9.6 % sequence divergence) as well as by a unique combination of morphological characters such as brownish colour of dorsal pelage, a relatively large thumb and thumb claw, an almost cylindrical form of the penis and the characteristic shape of the baculum. The most important morphological diagnostic characters is a relatively long (≥18mm) and wide (≥6mm) tragus. The new species is currently known from three localities on Sardinia. In addition to the new species we discovered a lineage of P. auritus, which is substantially differentiated from continental P. auritus at subspecific level (1.2–2.7 % of sequence divergence of the 16S rRNA gene). The existence of these two endemic bat taxa on Sardinia highlights the island’s importance in the conservation of the European bat community.