Myotis moluccarum richardsi Kitchener, 1995

Parnaby, Harry E., Ingleby, Sandy & Divljan, Anja, 2017, Type Specimens of Non-fossil Mammals in the Australian Museum, Sydney, Records of the Australian Museum 69 (5), pp. 277-420 : 396-397

Myotis moluccarum richardsi Kitchener , in Kitchener et al. 1995

Rec. West. Aust. Mus. 17(2): 208, figs 6–8, 12–14; table 2. (27 June 1995).

Common name. Large-footed Myotis .

Current name. Myotis moluccarum richardsi Kitchener , in Kitchener et al. 1995; following Simmons (2005).

Paratypes. (4, by original designation). M.4901 , female, body in alc., Lake Barrine via Yungaburra (17°16'S 145°35'E), Qld, [collected by G. H. Curry, registered 12 March 1930]. M.13317 , female, body in alc., Macleods Creek , (15°26'S 145°08'E), Cooktown, [collected by H. Parnaby, 14 September 1983]. M.18824 , male, body in alc., Port Moresby, (9°27'S 147°08'E), Central Province, Papua New Guinea, [collected by L. Jones, collection date not given, registered 18 April 1988]. M.15110 , male, body in alc., Yuro village (6°32'S 144°51'E), East side of Mt Karimui, South Simbu Province [Central Province in original account], Papua New Guinea, [collected by K. Aplin, P. Wilson and H. Parnaby on 30 April 1984] .

Comments. The holotype is in the QM. A total of 17 paratypes, other paratypes are in the QM, SAM, BMNH and MV. Frozen tissue samples of paratype M.15110 are held at the SAM. Although the distribution is given as the NT and QLD in the original account, two specimens from Papua New Guinea are listed as paratypes .

The species taxonomy of Myotis in the Australasian region remains problematic and in need of revision. A single species, M. macropus ( Gould, 1855) , is often recognized in Australia, influenced by Cooper et al. (2001). However, we follow Kitchener et al. (1995) and agree with Helgen (2007) in recognizing M. moluccarum ( Thomas, 1915b) .