Phylogeography and potential distribution of Sturnira lilium and S. giannae (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) with range extension for S. giannae in the Cerrado and Pantanal biomes

ABSTRACT

Sturnira, known as the yellow-shouldered bat, has a wide geographical distribution and encompasses 24 distinct species. Within Phyllostomidae, Sturnira is the most diverse, with four species in Brazil: S. lilium, S. magna, S. tildae, and S. giannae. Sturnira species occur on the eastern slopes of the Andes and adjacent Amazonian lowlands, spanning from Colombia to northern Bolivia, the Brazilian Amazon, the southern lowlands of Venezuela, and the Guianas. In the present study the following were investigated: the phylogenetic relationships of Sturnira, employing the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene as a marker; the phylogeography of S. lilium and S. giannae, aiming to elucidate their geographical boundaries and phylogenetic positions; the morphology of S. lilium and S. giannae, and their potential distributions. The results indicate that there are two major clades within Sturnira, one including S. lilium, S. parvidens, and S. bakeri as the sister group of S. giannae, S. luisi, and S. paulsoni, and another clade with the remaining species. Morphological analyses showed that the diagnostic characteristics previously advanced for S. lilium and S. giannae overlap. Our findings expanded the known distribution of S. giannae, and show an area where S. lilium and S. giannae overlap in distribution. This area spans from the south of the state of Mato Grosso to the south of the state of Maranhão; the two species are sympatric in northeast Brazil and syntopic in the Pantanal. The comprehensive species distribution model suggested that the sympatry between S. lilium and S. giannae is notably larger than documented here.

KEY WORDS:
Cryptic species; cytochrome b gene; habitat suitability; sympatry; syntopic