Current and potential distribution of Myotis simus (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae)

Abstract

Myotis simus is apparently restricted to tropical and subtropical South American lowlands, with a possible disjunction isolating northern and southern populations. Twenty-eight museum and literature records were assembled and analysed in the context of a taxonomic review of South American species of Myotis. In order to model the distribution of M. simus, to reveal putative areas of occurrence and environmental constraints to its distribution, as well as to test the previously proposed hypothesis of disjunct distribution, Maximum entropy algorithm (MaxEnt) was implemented on the information retrieved from the sampling localities, using nine environmental variables. Two regions with increased probability values were revealed in the Amazon and Paraná basins, connected by a bottleneck in southeastern Bolivia, which provides further support for the previously proposed hypothesis of disjunctive distribution. The predicted distribution for M. simus was strongly associated with the drainage basins, precipitations of the driest quarter, mean temperatures of the warmest quarter and altitude. The Andean eastern slopes and the Guyana, Paraná and Central Brazilian plateaus delimit the geographical distribution of M. simus, and the confirmed records document its presence in both terra firme and floodplain areas in lowland forest and savanna formations across South America.

Range extension of Myotis midastactus​ (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae) to Paraguay

“…These specimens partially fit in the descriptions of M. simus provided by Thomas (1901) and LaVal (1973), but they differ slightly in the development of skull crests. In addition, a distribution modelling for M. simus (sensu LaVal 1973 and Wilson 2008) has supported the disjunctive distribution proposed by Wilson (2008), where Amazon Basin populations are isolated from southern South American populations by unsuitable habitats (Moratelli et al 2011b). This disjunctive distribution was strengthened after the assignment of Bolivian savannah populations to M. midastactus .…”

“…6, 7). However, a previous distribution modelling did not retrieve good support for this corridor (see Moratelli et al 2011b). In another scenario, M. simus might be restricted to the Amazon basin, and those from mid-western Brazil and north-eastern Argentina may represent a third species morphologically closer to M. simus than to M. midastactus .…”

“…The species was known from tropical South American lowlands, with records east of the Andes in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, northern and mid-western Brazil, and north-eastern Argentina (Wilson 2008, Moratelli et al 2011b, Moratelli 2012). Previous records of M. simus from southern Brazil (Wallauer et al 2000, Peracchi et al 2006, Bianconi and Pedro 2007) and from west of the Ecuadorian Andes (Carrera et al 2010) seem to be misidentifications of M. levis (I. Geoffroy, 1824) and M. riparius Handley, 1960, respectively (Cherem et al 2004, Moratelli et al 2011b, Moratelli et al 2013). <br/>…”

Geographic and Potential Distribution of a Poorly Known South American Bat,Histiotus macrotus(Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae)

“…This software provides response curves for each environmental variable, representing predictions on how each variable affects MaxEnt generated distributions (Moratelli et al, 2011). We used environmental variables with data from 1950 to 2000 and 30 arc-s of spatial resolution or ca.…”

History of the genus Myotis (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae) in Brazil: phylogeny, distribution, and cytogenetics

“…There are only nine species recorded in Brazil (Nogueira et al, 2014): Myotis albescens (É. Geoffroy, 1806); Myotis dinelli Thomas, 1902; Myotis izecksohni Moratelli et al, 2011a;Myotis levis (É. Geoffroy, 1824); Myotis lavali Moratelli et al, 2011a;Myotis nigricans (Schinz, 1821); Myotis riparius Handley, 1960;Myotis ruber (É. Geoffroy, 1806); Myotis simus (Thomas, 1901).…”