Phyllostomidae is one of the twenty families of bats in the mammalian order Chiroptera and is part of the microbat suborder. Members of this family are called phyllostomids or leaf-nosed bats. They are found in South America, Central America, and southern North America, primarily in forests and caves, though some species can also be found in grasslands, savannas, or wetlands. They range in size from the little white-shouldered bat, at and no tail, to the greater spear-nosed bat, at plus a tail. Like all bats, phyllostomids are capable of true and sustained flight, and have forearm lengths ranging from multiple species with , to the greater spear-nosed bat at . They primarily eat insects, fruit, nectar, and pollen, though the greater spear-nosed bat, big-eared woolly bat, and spectral bat will also eat birds, bats, and small mammals, and the three vampire bat species of the subfamily Desmodontinae solely consume blood. Almost no phyllostomids have population estimates, though the greater long-nosed bat, Bokermann's nectar bat, Dekeyser's nectar bat, Fernandez's sword-nosed bat, Guadeloupe big-eyed bat, and Lesser yellow-shouldered bat are categorized as endangered species, and the Jamaican flower bat is categorized as critically endangered with a population as low as around 250 mature individuals.

The 231 extant species of Phyllostomidae are divided into 11 subfamilies: Carolliinae, with 8 species in a single genus; Desmodontinae, with 3 species in 3 genera; Glossophaginae, with 37 species in 16 genera; Glyphonycterinae, with 5 species in 3 genera; Lonchophyllinae, with 16 species in 2 genera; Lonchorhininae, with a single genus of 5 species; Macrotinae, with a single genus of 2 species; Micronycterinae, with 12 species in 2 genera; Phyllostominae, with 22 species in 10 genera; Rhinophyllinae, with a single genus of 3 species; and Stenodermatinae, with 89 species in 20 genera. Several extinct prehistoric phyllostomid species have been discovered, though due to ongoing research and discoveries the exact number and categorization is not fixed.

Conventions

The author citation for the species or genus is given after the scientific name; parentheses around the author citation indicate that this was not the original taxonomic placement. Conservation status codes listed follow the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Range maps are provided wherever possible; if a range map is not available, a description of the phyllostomid's range is provided. Ranges are based on the IUCN Red List for that species unless otherwise noted.

Classification

Phyllostomidae is a family that consists of 231 extant species in 61 genera divided into eleven subfamilies: Carolliinae, Desmodontinae, Glossophaginae, Glyphonycterinae, Lonchophyllinae, Lonchorhininae, Macrotinae, Micronycterinae, Phyllostominae, Rhinophyllinae, and Stenodermatinae.

Family Phyllostomidae Subfamily Carolliinae Genus Carollia (short-tailed bats): eight species Subfamily Desmodontinae Genus Desmodus (common vampire bat): one species Genus Diaemus (white-winged vampire bat): one species Genus Diphylla (hairy-legged vampire bat): one species Subfamily Glossophaginae Genus Anoura (tailless bats): ten species Genus Brachyphylla (fruit-eating bats): two species Genus Choeroniscus (long-tailed bats): three species Genus Choeronycteris (Mexican long-tongued bat): one species Genus Dryadonycteris (Capixaba nectar-feeding bat): one species Genus Erophylla (flower bats): two species Genus Glossophaga (long-tongued bats): nine species Genus Hylonycteris (Underwood's long-tongued bat): one species Genus Leptonycteris (long-nosed bats): three species Genus Lichonycteris (little long-tongued bats): two species Genus Monophyllus (single leaf bats): two species Genus Musonycteris (banana bat): one species Genus Phyllonycteris (flower bats): two species Genus Platalina (long-snouted bat): one species Genus Scleronycteris (Ega long-tongued bat): one species Genus Xeronycteris (Vieira's long-tongued bat): one species Subfamily Glyphonycterinae Genus Glyphonycteris (big-eared bats): three species Genus Neonycteris (least big-eared bat): one species Genus Trinycteris (Niceforo's big-eared bat): one species Subfamily Lonchophyllinae Genus Hsunycteris (nectar bats): four species Genus Lionycteris (chestnut long-tongued bat): one species Genus Lonchophylla (nectar bats): thirteen species Subfamily Lonchorhininae Genus Lonchorhina (sword-nosed bats): six species Subfamily Macrotinae Genus Macrotus (leaf-nosed bats): two species Subfamily Micronycterinae Genus Lampronycteris (yellow-throated big-eared bat): one species Genus Micronycteris (big-eared bats): thirteen species

Subfamily Phyllostominae Genus Chrotopterus (big-eared woolly bat): one species Genus Gardnerycteris (hairy-nosed bats): three species Genus Lophostoma (round-eared bats): eight species Genus Macrophyllum (long-legged bat): one species Genus Mimon (golden bats): two species Genus Phylloderma (pale-faced bats): two species Genus Phyllostomus (spear-nosed bats): four species Genus Tonatia (round-eared bats): three species Genus Trachops (fringe-lipped bats): three species Genus Vampyrum (spectral bat): one species Subfamily Rhinophyllinae Genus Rhinophylla (little fruit bats): three species Subfamily Stenodermatinae Genus Ametrida (little white-shouldered bat): one species Genus Ardops (tree bat): one species Genus Ariteus (Jamaican fig-eating bat): one species Genus Artibeus (neotropical fruit bats): thirteen species Genus Centurio (wrinkle-faced bat): one species Genus Chiroderma (big-eyed bats): seven species Genus Dermanura (fruit-eating bats): eleven species Genus Ectophylla (Honduran white bat): one species Genus Enchisthenes (velvety fruit-eating bat): one species Genus Mesophylla (MacConnell's bat): one species Genus Phyllops (Cuban fig-eating bat): one species Genus Platyrrhinus (broad-nosed bats): nineteen species Genus Pygoderma (Ipanema bat): one species Genus Sphaeronycteris (visored bat): one species Genus Stenoderma (red fruit bat): one species Genus Sturnira (yellow-shouldered bats): twenty-five species Genus Uroderma (tent-making bats): five species Genus Vampyressa (little yellow-eared bats): six species Genus Vampyriscus (yellow-eared bats): three species Genus Vampyrodes (stripe-faced bats): two species

Phyllostomids The following classification is based on the taxonomy described by the reference work Mammal Species of the World (2005), with augmentation by generally accepted proposals made since using molecular phylogenetic analysis, as supported by both the IUCN SSC Bat Specialist Group and the American Society of Mammalogists.

Subfamily Carolliinae

Subfamily Desmodontinae

Subfamily Glossophaginae

Subfamily Glyphonycterinae

Subfamily Lonchophyllinae

Subfamily Lonchorhininae

Subfamily Macrotinae

Subfamily Micronycterinae

Subfamily Phyllostominae

Subfamily Rhinophyllinae

Subfamily Stenodermatinae

References Nowak, p. 127

Wilson, Reeder, pp. 395–425

Chernasky; Motis; Burgin, pp. 494–495 Chernasky; Motis; Burgin, pp. 496–497 Chernasky; Motis; Burgin, pp. 498–499 Chernasky; Motis; Burgin, pp. 500–501 Chernasky; Motis; Burgin, pp. 502–503 Chernasky; Motis; Burgin, pp. 504–505 Chernasky; Motis; Burgin, pp. 506–507 Chernasky; Motis; Burgin, pp. 508–509 Chernasky; Motis; Burgin, pp. 510–511 Chernasky; Motis; Burgin, pp. 512–513

Sources