A systematic revision of Equatorial Guinea's bats confirms a biodiversity hotspot in Central Africa

Abstract

The bat fauna of Equatorial Guinea (EG), on the western edge of the Lower Guinea rainforest, a predicted African bat diversity hotspot, remained poorly documented. We collated data from literature, natural history collections and recent fieldwork to compile a comprehensive biodiversity assessment of the bats of mainland EG. This yielded 58 taxa from 29 genera and eight families: 11 species within Pteropodidae, three within Emballonuridae, two within Rhinolophidae, six within Hipposideridae, eight within Molossidae, one within Miniopteridae, five within Nycteridae, and 22 within Vespertilionidae. We report 33 new national records and three additional taxa that require further taxonomic confirmation. Notable additions include Casinycteris campomaanensis, Coleura afra, Glauconycteris superba, Hipposideros curtus and Mops petersoni. This study provides the first detailed documentation of bat diversity for mainland EG, enhancing our understanding of species richness and distributions in this biodiversity hotspot, and offering insights to guide future ecological research and conservation efforts. The bat species richness documented in our study exceeds that of any other forest site in tropical Africa with comparable size and habitat, with additional forest-dwelling species likely yet to be found. This biodiversity assessment highlights the importance of protecting bat assemblages in EG and the broader Lower Guinea rainforest region.