Contribution to the knowledge of the genera Rhinopoma , Miniopterus and Myotis (Mammalia: Chiroptera) of Iraq

Abstract The bat fauna of Iraq remains insufficiently documented, with several species known only from historical records or represented by very limited voucher materials. Even the occurrence and current status of several cave-dwelling bat species have remained uncertain due to the scarcity of published records and the absence of molecularly confirmed data. Museum collections and recent field surveys combined with molecular analysis provide important opportunities to update species distributions and to verify the continued presence of some poorly known taxa in the country. We present new distributional data on bats from Iraq based on field surveys conducted between 2022 and 2025, and unpublished museum material, supported by morphological data and molecular genetic analyses. Herewith we report new and/or substantial records for Greater Mouse-tailed bat Rhinopoma microphyllum, Pale Long-fingered Bat Miniopterus pallidus, Long-fingered Myotis Myotis capaccinii, Lesser Myotis Myotis blythii and Geoffroy’s Myotis Myotis emarginatus .