Taxonomical and distributional considerations for the Artibeus species (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) from the Tres Marias Islands, Mexico

The controversial taxonomy of the Artibeus lituratus-intermedius complex and the lack of genetic studies in the Artibeus specimens reported in the Tres Marias Islands (TMI) have caused the taxonomic identity of these specimens to remain ambiguous. During an expedition carried out in May 2022, we captured four specimens of Artibeus in the Maria Madre and Maria Cleophas islands. The specimens were assigned by external morphological characters and traditional morphometrics, and were compared with the data available in the taxonomic descriptions of A. lituratus and A. intermedius. Additionally, we performed a phylogenetic analysis of cytochrome b sequences. Our genetic data suggest that the Artibeus populations are a lineage of the Artibeus lituratus-intermedius complex. In addition, the morphometric data suggest the presence of two morphotypes that, according to the literature, would correspond to A. lituratus palmarum and A. intermedius koopmani. With these results, we propose that both species of Artibeus are present and therefore the bat community of TMI is composed of ten species. However, future more detailed genetic studies are needed to elucidate the true taxonomic diversity of the archipelago.