REVISION OF AUSTRALO-PAPUAN PIPISTRELLUS AND OF FALSISTRELLUS (MICROCHIROPTERA VESPERTILIONIDAE)

WA Museum Records and Supplements | Updated 1 decade ago

Abstract: A classical morphological taxonomic approach has been used to clarify the status of Australian and New Guinea species usually placed in the genus Pipistrellus. Multivariate phenetic and phylogenetic analyses of a suite of morphological characters were undertaken to determine the relationships between the taxa recognised in this study.

In tropical Australia, Pipistrellus tenuis westralis Koopman, 1984, from coastal and near coastal Kimberley, Northern Territory and western Queensland is elevated to species status. Pipistrellus adamsi sp. nov. is described from north Queensland and Northern Territory.

In New Guinea the following species of pipistrelles are recognised: P. papuanus (Peters and Doria, 1881); P. angulatus Peters, 1880; P. collinus Thomas, 1920 - as well as P. wattsi sp. nov. which is described from southeastern coastal New Guinea. In more southern parts of Australia two species are recognised and placed in the genus Falsistrellus Troughton, 1943 [F. tasmaniensis (Gould, 1858) and F. mackenziei sp: nov.]. The former species is from Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales and southeastern Queensland and the latter is described from southwestern Western Australia.

The phylogenetic and phenetic analyses support the generic distinction between Falsistrellus and Pipistrellus and suggest that the northern Australian pipistrelles have evolved independently from New Guinea species.