The first record of the greater noctule bat, Nyctalus lasiopterus (Schreber, 1780) (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae), in the Republic of Mordovia (European Russia)

As part of a systematic five-year (2021–2025) mist-netting survey of bats in the Mordovia State Nature Reserve, we documented the first confirmed presence of the greater noctule bat, Nyctalus lasiopterus, in the Republic of Mordovia. This species is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. From a total of 2560 captured bats representing 11 species, ten individuals of N. lasiopterus were recorded at two distinct locations in July 2025. The capture of both young-of-the-year and an adult post-lactating female suggests the potential presence of a maternity colony in the region. This finding significantly updates the regional chiropterofauna, confirms the northeastern expansion of this rare species’ range, and underscores the critical importance of the reserve’s broadleaf forests for its conservation. We recommend the inclusion of N. lasiopterus in the official faunal list of Mordovia.