title: A new species of the Miniopterus schreibersii species complex (Chiroptera: Miniopteridae) from the Maghreb Region, North Africa.
abstract: We used an integrative approach combining cranio-dental characters, mitochondrial and nuclear data and acoustic data to show the presence in the genus Miniopterus of a cryptic species from the Maghreb region. This species was previously recognised as Miniopterus schreibersii (Kuhl, 1817). Miniopterus maghrebensis sp. nov. can be differentiated from M. schreibersii sensu stricto on the basis of cranial characters and from mitochondrial DNA and microsatellite evidence. Although slight external morphological and acoustic differences were noted between the two species, these criteria alone did not allow reliable species identification from live animals. Based on the specimens identified morphologically and/or genetically, the distribution range of M. maghrebensis sp. nov. extends from northern Morocco to south of the High Atlas Mountains and northern Tunisia. The new cryptic species is found in sympatry with M. schreibersii s.str. near coastal regions of North Africa.
authors.affiliation: University College Dublin, School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.; Email: s.puechmaille@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sebastien J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Puechmaille
authors.affiliation: Naturalia environnement, Green Park, 149 Avenue du Golf, 34 670 Baillargues, France Caracol, 1 hameau les Hémies, 34 700 Le Puech, France; Email: unknown.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Allegrini
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, National Museum (Natural History), Václavské nám. 68, 115 79 Praha 1, Czech Republic Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Viničná 7, 128 44 Praha 2, Czech Republic; Email: unknown.
authors.forename: Petr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Benda
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Sciences, Boğaziçi University, Bebek, Istanbul, 34342, Turkey; Email: unknown.
authors.forename: Kanat
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gürün
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Viničná 7, 128 44 Praha 2, Czech Republic; Email: unknown.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Srámek
authors.affiliation: Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC) Avda. Americo Vespucio s/n, Seville 41092, Spain; Email: unknown.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ibañez
authors.affiliation: Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC) Avda. Americo Vespucio s/n, Seville 41092, Spain; Email: unknown.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Juste
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Sciences, Boğaziçi University, Bebek, Istanbul, 34342, Turkey; Email: unknown.
authors.forename: Rasit
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bilgin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D002685:Chiroptera / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification* / Q000502:physiology; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000737:chemistry*; D004455:Echolocation; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D019083:Mediterranean Region; D014416:Tunisia; D014828:Vocalization, Animal
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial