''Mormopterus'' is a genus of

molossid The Molossidae, or free-tailed bats, are a family of bats within the order Chiroptera. The Molossidae is the fourth-largest family of bats, containing about 110 species as of 2012. They are generally quite robust, and consist of many strong-flyi ...

microchiropterans, small flying mammals referred to as free-tailed bats. The genus has been the subject of several revisions, and the diversity of taxa centred on Australia were separated to a new genus ''

Ozimops ''Ozimops'' is a genus of molossid bats found in Australia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Description ''Ozimops'' are small and stout microbats, with forearm measurement ranging from 29 to 41 millimetres and weigh from 6 to 18 grams. The ea ...

'', and two monotypic genera, ''

Setirostris ''Setirostris eleryi'' is a species of small insectivorous bat found in inland eastern Australia. It is the sole species of the molossid genus ''Setirostris'', a name that refers to the coarse bristles on their faces. Earlier common names have r ...

'' and ''

Micronomus ''Micronomus norfolkensis'' is a species of molossid bat, a family of flying mammals. The bat is endemic to Australia, where it occurs from southeastern Queensland to eastern New South Wales. They are the sole species of genus ''Micronomus'' and ...

''. The species of ''Mormopterus'', in this stricter sense, are only found in areas outside of Australia and West Papua.

Taxonomy

A description of the genus was published in 1865 by Wilhelm Peters, as a new subgenus allied to '' Nyctinomus''. While the species-level taxonomy became better resolved, the integrity of the genus ''Mormopterus'' as it stood was less clear and molecular sequencing data indicated that ''Mormopterus'' was

paraphyletic In taxonomy (general), taxonomy, a group is paraphyletic if it consists of the group's most recent common ancestor, last common ancestor and most of its descendants, excluding a few Monophyly, monophyletic subgroups. The group is said to be pa ...

. The closest relatives of '' M. kalinowski'' are members of ''

Nyctinomops ''Nyctinomops'' is a genus of bat Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats ...

''. Further phylogenetic work is required to resolve the relationships of the species’ groups from the three regional areas, and what their relationships are to other molossid genera. Investigations of Australian bat

systematics Biological systematics is the study of the diversification of living forms, both past and present, and the relationships among living things through time. Relationships are visualized as evolutionary trees (synonyms: cladograms, phylogenetic tre ...

have resulted in species confusion, which has in turn inhibited other research and recognition for the purpose of conservation; ''Mormopterus'' had presented the greatest difficulties to taxonomic workers. A revision in 2014 used a multilocus approach, combining morphological and molecular analysis to further separate the genus; this recognised the subgenus ''Micronomus'' and erected two new taxa, subgenera ''Setirostris'' (monotypic) and ''Ozimops'', which circumscribed four accepted and three new species of ''Mormopterus''. Prior to this revision some taxa were given tentative labels of convenience by workers, ''Mormopterus'' sp. 1, 2, 3 ... , following a molecular study in 1998 that identified probable species without publishing descriptions. The Australian Faunal Directory, citing a 2015 taxonomic publication that elevated subgenera published in a 2014 review, recognises genera ''

'', ''

'' and ''

'' and the new generic combinations of taxa formerly assigned to this genus.

Diversity

The genus ''Mormopterus'' has seven species occurring in geographically disparate locations, three species from the west Indian Ocean region (Madagascar and the Mascarene Islands and possibly South Africa and Ethiopia), one species from western Indonesia (known from a single specimen from

Sumatra Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...

) that appears to be related to the above three species; and three species from the neotropics (the western side of South America as far south as northern Chile, and Cuba). The former subgenus ''

'', later elevated to genus, is most diverse in Australia, although also found in the Indonesian Archipelago, Halmahera, Ambon, Seram and West Papua, and in Papua New Guinea. The two monotypic subgenera ''Micronomus'' and ''Setirostris'', also elevated to genus, are endemic to Australia.

Species

The intergeneric arrangement, prior to 2014 elevation of the four

subgenera In biology, a subgenus (plural: subgenera) is a taxonomic rank directly below genus. In the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between t ...

, may be summarised as: *Subgenus ''

Mormopterus ''Mormopterus'' is a genus of molossid microchiropterans, small flying mammals referred to as free-tailed bats. The genus has been the subject of several revisions, and the diversity of taxa centred on Australia were separated to a new genus ''O ...

'' ** ''

Mormopterus acetabulosus The Natal free-tailed bat (''Mormopterus acetabulosus'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae, the free-tailed bats. It is endemic to the island of Mauritius. It is known from fewer than five locations in its range, but it is common at a ...

'' Natal free-tailed bat ** '' Mormopterus francoismoutoui'', Reunion free-tailed bat ** ''

Mormopterus doriae The Sumatran mastiff bat (''Mormopterus doriae'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae, the free-tailed bats. It is only known from Sumatra in Indonesia. It was described in 1907 and has not been recorded since. Taxonomy and etymology I ...

'' Sumatran mastiff bat ** ''

Mormopterus jugularis Peters's wrinkle-lipped bat (''Mormopterus jugularis''), also called Peters's goblin bat, is a species of bat in the family Molossidae, the free-tailed bats. It is endemic to Madagascar, where it is widespread and in some areas abundant. It comm ...

'' Peters's wrinkle-lipped bat ** ''

Mormopterus kalinowskii Kalinowski's mastiff bat (''Mormopterus kalinowskii'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae, the free-tailed bats. It is native to Peru and northern Chile. Relatively little is known about the species, but it is thought to be common in i ...

'' Kalinowski's mastiff bat ** ''

Mormopterus minutus The little goblin bat (''Mormopterus minutus'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae, the free-tailed bats. It is endemic to Cuba. This bat is vulnerable due to habitat loss and degradation. During the day it can be found roosting in th ...

'' little goblin bat ** ''

Mormopterus phrudus The Incan little mastiff bat (''Mormopterus phrudus'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae, the free-tailed bats. It belongs to the subgenus ''Micronomus''. Taxonomy and etymology It was described as a new species by American zoologis ...

'' Incan little mastiff bat

Synonyms

Synonyms of mainly Australian species, later recognised as new genera. *Subgenus ''

'' **''

Mormopterus norfolkensis ''Micronomus norfolkensis'' is a species of molossid bat, a family of flying mammals. The bat is endemic to Australia, where it occurs from southeastern Queensland to eastern New South Wales. They are the sole species of genus ''Micronomus'' and ...

'' East-coast free-tailed bat, *Subgenus ''

'' ** ''

Mormopterus eleryi ''Setirostris eleryi'' is a species of small insectivorous bat found in inland eastern Australia. It is the sole species of the molossid genus ''Setirostris'', a name that refers to the coarse bristles on their faces. Earlier common names have r ...

'' bristle-faced free-tailed bat *Subgenus ''

'' ** ''

Mormopterus planiceps ''Ozimops planiceps'' is a small bat in the family Molossidae, native to Australia and Indonesia. Taxonomy The taxonomy of the ''Mormopterus'' species has been a complicated issue for some time. Originally described by Wilhelm Peters in 1881, ...

'', southern free-tailed bat, ** ''

Mormopterus beccarii Beccari's free-tailed bat (''Ozimops beccarii'') is a species of bat in the free-tailed bat family Molossidae found to Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. It can be found in several habitat types, including savanna, tropical moist forest, and fragm ...

'', Beccari's mastiff bat ** ''

Mormopterus loriae ''Ozimops loriae'' is a species of bat found in Australia and Papua New Guinea. The common names include Loria's mastiff bat and little northern free-tailed bat. The species was formerly described as ''Mormopterus loriae'', and assigned to an A ...

'', Loria's mastiff bat, little Papuan mastiff bat ** '' Mormopterus petersi'', inland free-tailed bat ** '' Mormopterus kitcheneri'', south-western free-tailed bat ** '' Mormopterus ridei'', eastern free-tailed bat, ** ''

Mormopterus lumsdenae ''Ozimops lumsdenae'' is a species of molossid bat found in Australia, the largest of the genus ''Ozimops''. Taxonomy It is a species of genus ''Ozimops'', both taxa emerging in the publication of new species and generic combinations of mostly A ...

,'' northern free-tailed bat ** '' Mormopterus halli,'' Cape York free-tailed bat ** '' Mormopterus cobourgianus,'' mangrove free-tailed bat In addition,

Peters's flat-headed bat Peters's flat-headed bat (''Platymops setiger'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae and the monotypic genus ''Platymops''. It is found in Ethiopia, Kenya, and South Sudan. Its natural habitats are dry savanna A savanna or savanna ...

(''Platymops setiger'') and

Roberts's flat-headed bat Roberts's flat-headed bat (''Sauromys petrophilus'') is a species of free-tailed bat native to southern Africa. It is the only species in the genus ''Sauromys''. The scientific name translates as "rock loving lizard-mouse", while the common name ...

(''Sauromys petrophilus'') were once thought to belong to this genus.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2579356 Bats of Australia Mammals of South Australia Molossidae Bat genera Taxa named by Wilhelm Peters