Piecing the punicus Puzzle

Abstract

The occurrence of Myotis species in the Mediterranean region has been documented for a very long time. At present, 15 Myotis species are known to inhabit the Mediterranean region (Temple & Cuttelod, 2009). However the classification of some of these species has been continuously shifting and somewhat difficult to determine. One such species has been what is now referred to as Myotis punicus Felten, 1977 (Castella et al., 2000). Until the late 1990s Myotis punicus was generally thought to be an insular variant of either Myotis myotis or Myotis blythii, mostly because both these species are distributed throughout the Mediterranean region. It was considered to be either a smaller variant of Myotis myotis (Gulia, 1913; Ellerman & Morrison-Scott, 1966; Benda & Horácek, 1995), or a larger variant of Myotis blythii (Lanza, 1959; Strelkov, 1972; Felten et al., 1977; Bogan et al., 1978; Corbet, 1978). In Malta, some authors also attributed particular individuals to other species including Myotis daubentoni (Gulia, 1913), Myotis capaccinii (Gulia, 1913) and Myotis oxygnathus (Lanfranco, 1969). However, several authors have commented on the differences observed from individuals of Myotis myotis and Myotis blythii across the rest of their distribution range and expressed doubt as to the correct classification (Strinati, 1951; Strelkov, 1972; Felten et al., 1977; Gaisler, 1983; Menu & Popelard, 1987; Borg et al., 1990; Courtois et al., 1992). The distinguishing features of Myotis punicus were first reported through comparative analyses of morphometric data (Benda & Horácek, 1995; Arlettaz et al., 1997). Cranial morphometrics in conjunction with measurements of forearm and ear length presented a distinct cluster of individuals from the Mediterranean region intermediate in size between Myotis myotis and Myotis blythii. It was also noted that this intermediate cluster lacked the white spot of hair on the forehead, which is typical of Myotis blythii (Arlettaz et al., 1997). Among the distinctive features of Myotis punicus are its large size (comparable to Myotis myotis), the plagiopatagium (wing membrane) starting at the base of the toes, a lancet shaped tragus and distinct dorsal (light brown) and ventral (white) fur coloration (Dietz & von Helversen, 2004).