Redescription of Myotis atacamensis (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) with neotype designation

ABSTRACT

Myotis atacamensis (Lataste, 1892) was described based on three syntypes from San Pedro de Atacama, Chile. The type series is lost. The original description was based on few external and cranial characters, and the diagnosis became obsolete and useless considering the current diversity of South American Myotis. Based on 12 specimens of M. atacamensis from southern Peru and northern Chile, we provide a morphological comparison with its South American congeners, designate a neotype, and provide a new diagnosis.

KEY WORDS:
Atacama Myotis; desert habitat; Myotinae; neotype; taxonomy