Pipistrellus hesperidus

• Main Authors: Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: Lynx Edicions 2019
• Subjects: Biodiversity; Taxonomy; Animalia; Chordata; Mammalia; Chiroptera; Vespertilionidae; Pipistrellus; Pipistrellus hesperidus; Pipistrellus pipistrellus
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6578079; http://treatment.plazi.org/id/4C3D87E8FFEB6A55FA549A381702BF76

25. Dusky Pipistrelle Pipistrellus hesperidus French: Pipistrelle hespéride / German: Abendstern-Zwergfledermaus / Spanish: Pipistrela africana Other common names: African Pipistrelle Taxonomy. Vespertilio hesperida [sic] Temminck, 1840, “Les bords de la Mer rouge vers les cotés d’Abyssinie [= the shores of the Red Sea toward the coast of Ethiopia].” Pipistrellus hesperidus has generally been considered a synonym of P. kuhliz; however, it is now recognized as a distinct species because of its morphological and genetic distinctions. Pipistrellus hesperidus seems to be sister to P. rusticus based on limited genetic data and chromosomal similarities. Exact distributional limits between P. /esperidus and P. kuhlii are uncertain. Canary Islands populations might represent either species and are tentatively included under P. hesperidus here. There is considerable variation in morphology across the current distribution of P. hesperidus. Subspecies recognized here almost certainly represent distinct species based on genetic and karyological grounds; however, not all populations have been tested, making it difficult to assign them to a species. West African populations mightalso represent a fourth distinct taxon based on high genetic distance and distinct karyotype from southern African populations. There is also considerable divergence between Madagascan and mainland populations, indicating that Madagascar specimens also represent a distinct species, for which the name humbloti might be available (the name was recently allocated to P. hesperidus based on examination of syntypes for the name). Distributions of subspecies are estimates. Three subspecies recognized. Subspecies and Distribution. P.h.hesperidusTemminck,1840—EAfricainEritrea,Djibouti,Ethiopia,SWSudan,SouthSudan,andNE&SSomalia. P.h.fuscatusThomas,1901—EAfricainEDRCongo,Uganda,Kenya,Rwanda,Burundi,andTanzania. P. h. subtilis Sundevall, 1846 — S Africa in NC, C & W Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, NC Botswana, E & South Africa, ...