191.

Ognev’s Serotine

Eptesicus ognevi

French: Sérotine d'Ognev / German: Ognev-Breitfligelfledermaus / Spanish: Eptesicus de Ognev

Taxonomy. Eptesicus ognevi Bobrinski, 1918,

Bokhara district, Soviet Turkestan .

Eptesicus ognevi is generally recognized as a subspecies of E. bottae, but genetic data support recognition of them as distinct. Morphological data are less conclusive because LE. ognevi greatly resembles E. bottae . Phylogenetic relationship of E. ognevi to other species of Eptesicus is still unresolved. Using mitochondrial genes, E. ognevi was sister to a clade including E. serotinus (specifically subspecies mirza and turcomanus) and E. bottae, but nuclear genes showed it to be sister to a clade including E. hottentotus, E. anatolicus, and E. bottae . It consistently formed a monophyletic group separate from E. bottae, supporting its status as a distinct species. Nevertheless, I. V. Artyushin and colleagues in 2018 found a similarly conflicting dataset that supported the traditional view that E. bottae includes E. ognevi and E. anatolicus based on nuclear genes. Eptesicus ognevi and E. anatolicus are included as distinct species here, pending a more complete genetic and morphological study encompassing the full distribution of all taxa in E. bottae sensu lato . Specimens in Afghanistan and Pakistan need to be examined further because they occur at much higher elevations than most other specimens reported for E. ognevi . Distribution of E. ognevi might overlap with E. anatolicus in the southern Caucasus. Monotypic.

Distribution. Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, NW & NE Iran, S Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, W Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, NW Afghanistan, N Pakistan, and NW India (Jammu and Kashmir).

Descriptive notes. Head—body 62-65 mm, tail 45-52 mm, ear 17-9-20 mm, hindfoot 7mm (one specimen), forearm 42-5-44-6 mm. Ognev’s Serotineis externally undistinguishable from Botta’s Serotine ( E. bottae). Dorsal pelage is light to dark creamy buff, with grayish beige to rusty brown tinge (hairs tricolored, with dark bases); ventral pelage is creamy to grayish beige (hairs bicolored, with white tips and pale grayish brown bases). Bare muzzle, ears, and membranes are pale grayish brown to dark brown. Ears are relatively short and subtriangular, with rounded tips; tragus is about one-half the ear length and is the same width from base to rounded tip. Wings and uropatagium are semi-translucent, and tail protrudes c.3-5 mm past uropatagium; postcalcarial lobe is well developed. Craniodental features are similar to Botta’s Serotine overall but can be distinguished by some slight differences, such as having relatively longer and narrowerrostral part of skull and relatively narrower rostrum in its mesial and distal parts. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 50 and FNa = 48 (Central Asia).

Habitat. Variety of arid and semiarid deserts and steppe in primarily lowland areas, recorded at elevations of 895 m in Afghanistan and at 3200 m in Pakistan (typically found at lower elevations).

Food and Feeding. Ognev’s Serotine captures various insects by slow hawking. Seventeen fecal samples from Khorasan, Iran, contained Hymenoptera (mainly Formicoidea with some Ichneumonoidea), Coleoptera ( Carabidae and Elateridae), Heteroptera, Auchenorrhyncha, Lepidoptera, and Neuroptera ( Hemerobiidae and Chrysopidae).

Breeding. In Iran, a pregnant Ognev’s Serotine with two well-developed fetuses was caught in mid-May, suggesting that births occur in late May or early June. In Turkmenistan, births reportedly occur from mid-May to early June, and in south-eastern Kazakhstan, a pregnant female with two fetuses was caught in early and late May. Pregnancy and births occur weeks later in Azerbaijan where pregnant females are known from mid-May to mid-June.

Activity patterns. Ognev’s Serotine is nocturnal and probably roosts in rock crevices.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Not assessed on The IUCN Red List. Ognev’s Serotine 1s included under Botta’s Serotine, which is classified as Least Concern. Ognev’s Serotine is widespread but does not seem to be very common; little 1s known about its threats and ecology.

Bibliography. Artyushin et al. (2018), Aulagnier et al. (2008), Bates & Harrison (1997), Benda & Gaisler (2015), Benda, Dietz et al. (2008), Benda, Faizolahi et al. (2012), Benda, Hank & Cerveny (2011), Hanak & Gaisler (1971), Zima & Horadek (1981).