Vampyressa is a genus of bats in the family Phyllostomidae, the leaf-nosed bats. They are known commonly as the yellow-eared bats or yellow-eared vampire bats.[1]

Vampyressa
Southern little yellow-eared bat (Vampyressa pusilla)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Family: Phyllostomidae
Subfamily: Stenodermatinae
Genus: Vampyressa
Thomas, 1900
Type species
Phyllostoma pusillum
Wagmer, 1843

There are five species. Three species were recently moved to the genus Vampyriscus. The two genera are differentiated by the morphology of their bones and teeth and the pattern of their pelage.[1]

A molecular phylogeny using sequences of the cytochrome b gene showed that V. sinchi is a subspecies of V. melissa.[2]

In 2024, a new species was described in México, based on morphological and molecular data. The new species, named Vampyressa villai, is similar to V. thyone but differs in DNA sequences and pelage and cranial characters. It is distributed west of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.[3]

Species include:

References

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  1. ^ a b c Tavares, V., et al. (2014). Systematics of Vampyressa melissa Thomas, 1926 (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae), with descriptions of two new species of Vampyressa. American Museum Novitates 3813 1-17.
  2. ^ Tavares, V.R.; Gardner, A.L.; McDonough, M.M.; Maldonado, J.E.; Gutiérrez, E.E.; Velazco, P.M.; Garbino, G.S.T. (2022). "Historical DNA of rare yellow-eared bats Vampyressa Thomas, 1900 (Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae) clarifies phylogeny and species boundaries within the genus". Systematics and Biodiversity. 20 (1): 1–13. doi:10.1080/14772000.2022.2117247.
  3. ^ Garbino, Guilherme S T; Hernández-Canchola, Giovani; León-Paniagua, Livia; Tavares, Valéria da C (2024-03-01). "A new Mexican endemic species of yellow-eared bat in the genus Vampyressa (Phyllostomidae, Stenodermatinae)". Journal of Mammalogy. doi:10.1093/jmammal/gyae001. ISSN 0022-2372.