Synonymisation of Myotis aurascens with M. davidii (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae) is Premature
Abstract
Based on morphological and molecular data Benda et al. (2012) suggested that East European and West and East Asian steppe whiskered bat, Myotis aurascens Kusjakin, 1935, is conspecific to M. davidii (Peters, 1869) described from China. This hypothesis found considerable support and eventually it may even turn out to be true, but at present it still needs more testing. It is only clear so far that the steppe whiskered bats from the western Eurasia and steppe whiskered bats from southern China are different, phylogenetically quite distant species. The study of variation and between-group differences of the steppe whiskered bats in morphological characters and molecular markers throughout the species geographic range is needed, and especially the comparison of their molecular genetic traits with those of M. davidii from the type locality (Beijing). Until such an analysis is done, taxonomic statements on the synonymy of the names M. aurascens and M. davidii are premature.
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