First record of Disk-footed bat Eudiscopus denticulus (Osgood, 1932) (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from India with notes on its ecology and genetics

Abstract

Abstract: On the basis of two recently collected specimens from Meghalaya state in north-eastern India, we report the occurrence of the monotypic vespertilionid genus Eudiscopus in the Indian Subcontinent. This taxon has so far been known only from a few localities in Southeast Asia. Our records also constitute a westward range extension of E. denticulus by about 1000 km into eastern South Asia. We provide comparative mensural data of several museum specimens of E. denticulus from Southeast Asia. Additionally, the echolocation call and wing characteristics of this species from Meghalaya are also described. The higher call frequency and lower wing loading and aspect ratio of the Indian E. denticulus indicate adaptation to cluttered environment, corroborating its guild assignment as edge space aerial forager. Molecular comparisons of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene sequence with samples from Vietnam revealed no genetic variation, despite large geographic distances separating the samples. Phylogenetic reconstructions confirm that Eudiscopus is a basal Myotinae, but its position relative to Submyotodon and Myotis is still uncertain.