Spatial and Morphological Insights into the Cryptic Pipistrellus Bat Complex in Türkiye

Year 2025, Volume: 53 Issue: 5, 7 - 13, 26.12.2025

Emin Seyfi , Şafak Bulut , Gül Olgun Karacan , Şakir Önder Özkurt

https://doi.org/10.15671/hjbc.1682258

Abstract

The genus Pipistrellus includes some of the most morphologically cryptic bat species in the Palearctic region, posing challenges for both taxonomic resolution and biodiversity monitoring. This study presents an integrative assessment of four Pipistrellus species—P. pipistrellus, P. pygmaeus, P. kuhlii, and P. nathusii—in Türkiye, based on fieldwork conducted between 2016 and 2025. A series of adult individuals were captured from multiple provinces and externally measured for nine linear morphometric characters. Discriminant Function Analysis (DFA) revealed significant morphological differentiation, with the highest classification accuracy observed for P. nathusii and P. pygmaeus, while P. pipistrellus and P. pygmaeus showed considerable overlap.
In addition to morphometric analyses, we report newly documented locality records that considerably expand the known distributional ranges of P. pygmaeus and P. nathusii, particularly in central and southeastern Türkiye. These findings underscore the importance of systematic field surveys in undersampled regions and highlight the utility of multivariate approaches for distinguishing cryptic bat taxa. This study contributes to a more refined understanding of Pipistrellus diversity and biogeography in Türkiye and provides a basis for future integrative taxonomic studies.

Keywords

Pipistrellus , morphometrics , DFA , Türkiye , cryptic species , distribution

Ethical Statement

All procedures involving the handling, capture, and measurement of bats were conducted in accordance with national and institutional ethical guidelines. Research and collection permits were granted by the General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks of Türkiye (Permit No: E-21264211-288.04-16949914). Ethical approval was obtained from the Aksaray University Animal Experiments Ethics Committee. Only non-reproductive, adult individuals were sampled, and no animals were harmed or euthanized for the purposes of this study.

Supporting Institution

TÜBİTAK

Project Number

124Z749

Thanks

This study is part of the PhD dissertation of Emin Seyfi, conducted at the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Graduate School of Hitit University, Türkiye. Fieldwork and laboratory activities were carried out with the permission of the General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks (Permit No: E-21264211-288.04-16949914), and ethical approval was obtained from the Aksaray University Animal Experiments Ethics Committee. We would like to thank the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) for supporting the doctoral studies of the first author through the 100/2000 PhD Scholarship Program. We are also grateful to the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK) for funding this research under the 1002 – A Short Term Support Module (Project No: 124Z749).

References

• 1. D.A. Schmieder, H.A. Benítez, I. Borissov, C. Fruciano, Bat species comparisons based on external morphology: a test of traditional versus geometric morphometric approaches, PLoS One, 10 (2015) e0127043.
• 2. Y. Gager, E Tarland, D. Lieckfeldt, M. Ménage, F. Botero-Castro, S. Rossiter, D. Dechmann, The value of molecular vs. morphometric and acoustic information for species identification using sympatric molossid bats, PLoS One, 11 (2016) e0150780.
• 3. Z. Ahmad, S Ahmad, M. Abbasi, N. Sheikh, Geometric morphometrics analysis of inter-population wing shape variations in bats, Albus Scientia, 1 (2022) 1-8.
• 4. B.P.F.E. Grol, Multivariate analysis of morphological characters of Pipistrellus pipistrellus (Schreber, 1774) and P. nathusii (Keyserling & Blasius, 1839)(Mammalia: Chiroptera) from The Netherlands. Zoologische Verhandelingen., 221 (1985) 1-62.
• 5. A. Sztencel-Jabłonka, G. Jones, W. Bogdanowicz, Skull morphology of two cryptic bat species: Pipistrellus pipistrellus and P. pygmaeus a 3D geometric morphometrics approach, Acta Chiropterol., 11 (2009) 113-126.
• 6. A.N. Herdina, P. Hulva, I. Horáček, P. Benda, F. Mayer, MicroCT imaging reveals morphometric baculum differences for discriminating the cryptic bat species Pipistrellus pipistrellus and Pipistrellus pygmaeus, Acta Chiropterol., 16 (2014) 157-168.
• 7. İ. Albayrak, Türkiye’den Pipistrellus pipistrellus aladdin için yeni bir kayıt, Commun. Fac. Sci. Univ. Ankara Ser. C Biol., 5 (1987) 161-164.
• 8. P. Benda, I. Horáček, Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) of the Eastern Mediterranean. Part 1: Review of distribution and taxonomy of bats in Turkey, Acta Soc. Zool. Bohem., 62 (1998) 255–313.
• 9. C. Dietz, I. Schunger, Ö. Keşaplı Didrickson, A. Karataş, F. Mayer, First record of Pipistrellus pygmaeus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) in Anatolia, Zool. Middle East, 34 (2005) 5-10.
• 10. E. Coraman, Phylogeographic analysis of Anatolian bats highlights the importance of the region for preserving the Chiropteran mitochondrial genetic diversity in the Western Palaearctic, Turkish Journal of Zoology., 37 (2013) 529-539.
• 11. P. Hulva, I. Horáček, P. Strelkov, P. Benda, Molecular architecture of Pipistrellus pipistrellus/Pipistrellus pygmaeus complex (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae): further cryptic species and Mediterranean origin of the divergence, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution., 32 (2004) 1023–1035.
• 12. C. Dietz, O. Von Helversen, Illustrated identification key to the bats of Europe. Version 1.0. Tuebingen and Erlangen, 2004.
• 13. F. Mayer, O. von Helversen, Cryptic diversity in European bats. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences268 (2001) 1825-1832.
• 14. P. Benda, M. Andreas, P. Hulva, M. Uhrin, Notes on the distribution of Pipistrellus pipistrellus complex in the Eastern Mediterranean: First records of P. pipistrellus for Syria and of P. pygmaeus for Turkey, Vespertilio, 7 (2003) 87-95.
• 15. V. Hanák, P. Benda, Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) of the Eastern Mediterranean. Part 2, Acta Soc. Zool. Bohem., 65 (2001) 209-346.
• 16. A. Evin, I. Horáček, P. Hulva, Phenotypic diversification and island evolution of pipistrelle bats (Pipistrellus pipistrellus group) in the Mediterranean region inferred from geometric morphometrics and molecular phylogenetics, Journal of Biogeography, 38(11) (2011) 2091–2105.