The systematic status of the Libyan bats of the genus Plecotus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae)

Abstract

This paper briefly reviews the taxonomic history of the Plecotus kolombatovici complex, the bat populations which occur in isolated ranges surrounding the Mediterraean Basin, including Maghreb, Tripolitania, Cyrenaica, Anatolia, Balkans, and Italy, plus numerous Mediterranean islands. Since this complex exhibts genetic characters close to Plecotus teneriffae from the Canary Islands, the samples of the complex from Cyrenaica (NE Libya) were described as a subspecies P. teneriffae gaisleri. However, this name was later used for all populations of the complex inhabiting North Africa as P. gaisleri, a full species separated from P. kolombatovici. However, the available results of molecular genetic analyses of the complex support the opinion that these allopatric populations are conspecific and referrable to P. kolombatovici and reopens the question regarding the systematic status of P. teneriffae.