Basic info Taxonomic history Classification Included Taxa
Morphology Ecology and taphonomy External Literature Search Age range and collections

Vespertilionoidea

Mammalia - Chiroptera

Taxonomy
Vespertilionoidea is a superfamily. It is extant.

It was corrected as Vespertilionoidae by Hay (1930).

It was assigned to Animalivora by Hay (1930); to Microchiroptera by Carroll (1988); and to Yangochiroptera by Ravel et al. (2016) and Amador et al. (2018).

Synonymy list
YearName and author
1930Vespertilionoidae Hay p. 453
1988Vespertilionoidea Carroll
2016Vespertilionoidea Ravel et al. p. 398
2018Vespertilionoidea Amador et al.

Is something missing? Join the Paleobiology Database and enter the data

RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
—Bilateria
—EubilateriaAx 1987
—Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
—Osteichthyes()
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
—Tetrapoda
—Reptiliomorpha
—Anthracosauria
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
—Cotylosauria()
—Amniota
RankNameAuthor
subclassSynapsida
—Therapsida()
infraorderCynodontia()
—Mammaliamorpha
—Mammaliaformes
classMammalia
—Cladotheria
—Zatheria
subclassTribosphenida()
subclassTheria
—Eutheria()
—Placentalia
orderChiropteraBlumenbach 1779
suborderYangochiropteraKoopman 1984
superfamilyVespertilionoidea
superfamilyVespertilionoidea

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

show all | hide all
G. †Chambinycteris Ravel et al. 2016
+
†Chambinycteris pusilli Ravel et al. 2016
G. †Drakonycteris Ravel et al. 2016
+
†Drakonycteris glibzegdouensis Ravel et al. 2016
Fm. Molossidae Gervais 1856 [free-tailed bat]
+
G. †Cuvierimops Legendre and Sigé 1983
G. Eumops Miller 1906 [mastiff bat]
+
Eumops glaucinus Wagner 1843 [Wagner's bonneted bat]
+
Invalid names: Molossides floridanus Allen 1932 [synonym]
Eumops perotis Schinz 1821 [western mastiff bat]
Eumops underwoodi Goodwin 1940
Invalid names: Molossides Allen 1932 [synonym]
Subfm. Molossinae Gervais 1855
+
G. †Kiotomops Takai et al. 1991
+
†Kiotomops lopezi Takai et al. 1991
G. Molossops Peters 1865 [Dog-faced bats]
G. Molossus Geoffroy 1805
+
†Molossus fortis Miller 1913
Molossus molossus Gray 1839 [Velvety free-tailed bat]
G. Promops Gervais 1855 [Dome-palate mastiff bats]
G. Mormopterus Peters 1865
+
Subg. †Mormopterus (Hydromops) Legendre 1984
+
†Mormopterus barrancae Czaplewski 2010
Mormopterus colombiensis Czaplewski 1997
G. Nyctinomus Geoffroy 1818
+
†Nyctinomus helveticus Revilliod 1920
†Nyctinomus stehlini Revilliod 1920
G. †Potamops Czaplewski 1997
+
†Potamops mascahehenes Czaplewski 1997
G. †Rhizomops Legendre 1984
+
†Rhizomops mengraii Mein and Ginsburg 1997
Subfm. Tadaridinae Legendre 1984
+
G. Mops Lesson 1842 [greater mastiff bat]
+
†Mops kerio Gunnell and Manthi 2018
†Mops turkwellensis Gunnell and Manthi 2018
G. Nyctinomops Miller 1902 [free-tailed bat]
G. Tadarida Rafinesque 1814
+
Tadarida aegyptiaca Geoffroy 1818 [Egyptian free-tailed bat]
Tadarida aurispinosa Peale 1848 [Peale's free-tailed bat]
Tadarida brasiliensis Geoffroy 1824 [Mexican free-tailed bat]
†Tadarida constantinei Lawrence 1960
†Tadarida engesseri Rachl 1983
Tadarida laticaudata Geoffroy 1805
†Tadarida leptognatha Rachl 1983
†Tadarida rusingae Arroyo-Cabrales et al. 2002
Tadarida teniotis Rafinesque 1814
G. †Wallia Storer 1984
+
†Wallia scalopidens Storer 1984
Fm. Natalidae Gray 1866 [funnel-eared bat]
+
G. †Ageina Russell et al. 1973
+
†Ageina tobieni Russell et al. 1973
G. †Honrovits Beard et al. 1992
+
†Honrovits tsuwape Beard et al. 1992
G. Natalus Gray 1838 [funnel-eared bat]
+
Natalus major Miller 1902
Natalus micropus Dobson 1880
G. †Primonatalus Morgan and Czaplewski 2003
+
†Primonatalus prattae Morgan and Czaplewski 2003
Fm. Vespertilionidae Gray 1821 [vesper bat]
+
G. †Ancenycteris Sutton and Genoways 1974
G. Antrozous Allen 1862 [pallid bat]
+
Antrozous pallidus Le Conte 1856 [pallid bat]
+
Invalid names: Pizonyx wheeleri Dalquest and Patrick 1989 [synonym]
G. †Anzanycteris White 1969
+
†Anzanycteris anzensis White 1969
G. Barbastella Gray 1821
+
Barbastella leucomelas Cretzschmar 1826
G. †Chadronycteris Ostrander 1983
+
†Chadronycteris rabenae Ostrander 1983
G. †Corynorhinus Allen 1865
+
G. Eptesicus Rafinesque 1820 [house bat]
+
†Eptesicus aurelianensis Ziegler 1993
†Eptesicus campanensis Baudelot 1970
Eptesicus fuscus Beauvois 1796 [big brown bat]
+
Invalid names: Eptesicus grandis Brown 1908 [synonym]
†Eptesicus kowalskii Woloszyn 1987
†Eptesicus mossoczyi Woloszyn 1987
†Eptesicus noctuloides Lartet 1851
†Eptesicus praeglacialis Kormos 1930
G. †Hanakia Horáček 2001
+
†Hanakia agadjaniani Rosina and Rummel 2012
G. Hypsugo Kolenati 1856
+
Hypsugo lanzai Benda 2011 [Socotran pipistrelle]
G. †Ia Thomas 1902
+
†Ia lamna Mein and Ginsburg 1997
G. †Karstala Czaplewski and Morgan 2001
+
†Karstala silva Czaplewski and Morgan 2001
Subfm. Kerivoulinae Miller 1907
+
G. †Chamtwaria Butler 1984
+
†Chamtwaria pickfordi Butler 1984
G. †Khonsunycteris Gunnell et al. 2008
+
†Khonsunycteris aegypticus Gunnell et al. 2008
G. Lasionycteris Peters 1865
+
Lasionycteris noctivagans Le Conte 1831 [silver-haired bat]
G. Lasiurus Gray 1831 [hairy-tailed bat]
+
†Lasiurus borealis Muller 1776
†Lasiurus cinereus Palisot de Beauvois 1796
†Lasiurus fossilis Hibbard 1950
†Lasiurus golliheri Hibbard 1960
Lasiurus intermedius Allen 1862 [northern yellow bat]
+
Invalid names: Dasypterus floridanus Miller 1902 [synonym]
Lasiurus seminolus Rhoads 1895
G. Miniopterus Bonaparte 1837 [bend-winged bat]
+
†Miniopterus approximatus Woloszyn 1987
†Miniopterus fossilis Zapfe 1950
†Miniopterus tao Woloszyn 1986
G. †Miomyotis Lawrence 1943
+
†Miomyotis floridanus Lawrence 1943
G. †Miostrellus Rachl 1983
+
G. Murina Gray 1842
+
Murina suilla Temminck 1840
G. Myotis Kaup 1829
+
†Myotis antiquus Gaillard 1899
†Myotis austroriparius Rhoads 1897
†Myotis baranensis Kormos 1934
Myotis bechsteini Leisler 1818
†Myotis belgicus Gunnell et al. 2017
Myotis blythi Tomes 1857 [lesser mouse-eared bat]
†Myotis boyeri Mein 1965
Myotis brandtii Eversmann 1845 [Brandts myotis]
†Myotis californicus Audubon and Bachman 1842
†Myotis danutae Kowalski 1956
Myotis dasycneme Boie 1825
Myotis davidii Peters 1869 [Davids myotis]
†Myotis elegans Baudelot 1972
Myotis emarginatus Geoffroy 1806
†Myotis estramosensis Topál 1983
†Myotis evotis Allen 1864
†Myotis exilis Heller 1936
†Myotis grisecens Howell 1909
Myotis grisescens Howell 1909 [gray bat]
+
Invalid names: Myotis insignis Heller 1936 [replaced]
Myotis ikonnikovi Ognev 1912 [Ikonnikov's bat]
†Myotis janossyi Topál 1983
†Myotis keenii Merriam 1895
†Myotis leibii Audubon and Bachman 1842
†Myotis lucifugus Le Conte 1831
†Myotis mangamolaris Choate and Hall 1967
†Myotis murinoides Trouessart 1904
Myotis myotis Borkhausen 1797 [greater mouse-eared bat]
Myotis mystacinus Leisler 1819
Myotis nattereri Kuhl 1818
Myotis oxygnathus Monticelli 1885
†Myotis paradaubentoni Topál 1983
†Myotis rectidens Choate and Hall 1967
†Myotis salodorensis Revilliod 1922
†Myotis sanctialbani Viret 1951
Myotis septentrionalis Trouessart 1897
Myotis siligorensis Horsfield 1855 [Himalayan whiskered bat]
†Myotis sodalis Miller and Allen 1928
†Myotis thysanodes Miller 1897
Myotis velifer Allen 1890 [cave myotis]
†Myotis volans Allen 1866
†Myotis yumanensis Allen 1864
Invalid names: Pizonyx Miller 1906 [synonym]
Tr. Noctilioninia Gray 1825
+
G. Dysopes Illiger 1811
G. Nyctalus Bowdich 1925
+
Nyctalus noctula Schreber 1774
G. Nycticeius Rafinesque 1819
+
Nycticeius humeralis Rafinesque 1818 [evening bat]
G. †Oligomyotis Galbreath 1962
G. †Paleptesicus Zapfe 1970
+
†Paleptesicus priscus Zapfe 1950
Tr. Phyllostomina Gray 1825
+
G. Diphylla Spix 1823
+
Diphylla centralis Thomas 1903
G. Medateus Gray 1825
G. Vampyrus Spix 1823
+
Vampyrus spectrum Linnaeus 1758 [spectral bat]
G. Pipistrellus Kaup 1829 [pipistrelle bat]
+
Pipistrellus hesperus Allen 1864 [western pipistrelle]
Pipistrellus kuhlii Natterer 1819 [Kuhl's pipistrelle]
Pipistrellus nathusii Keyserling and Blasius 1839
Pipistrellus savii Bonaparte 1837
Pipistrellus subflavus Cuvier 1832 [eastern pipistrelle bat]
Pipistrellus tenuis Temminck 1840 [least pipistrelle]
Invalid names: Vesperugo Cope 1873 [synonym]
G. †Plionycteris Lindsay and Jacobs 1985
G. †Potamonycteris Czaplewski 1991
+
†Potamonycteris biperforatus Czaplewski 1991
Tr. Pteropina Gray 1825
+
G. Cynopterus Cuvier 1824
+
Cynopterus titthaecheilus Temminck 1827 [Indonesian short-nosed fruit bat]
G. Harpyia Illiger 1811
G. Macroglossus Cuvier 1824
+
Macroglossus minimus Geoffroy 1810
Tr. Rhinolophina Gray 1825
+
G. Nyctophilus Leach 1821
G. Rhogeessa Allen 1866 [lesser yellow bat]
G. Scotomanes Dobson 1875 [harlequin bat]
G. Scotophilus Leach 1821
+
Scotophilus nux Thomas 1904
Scotophilus viridis Peters 1852
G. †Shanwangia Yang 1977
+
G. †Simonycteris Stirton 1931
G. †Stehlinia Revilliod 1919
+
†Stehlinia bonisi Sigé 1990
†Stehlinia gracilis Revilliod 1919
+
Invalid names: Nycterobius gracilis Revilliod 1922 [objective synonym], Pseudorhinolophus egerkingensis Revilliod 1922 [synonym]
Invalid names: Nycterobius Revilliod 1922 [objective synonym], Paleunycteris Revilliod 1919 [synonym], Revilliodia Simpson 1945 [objective synonym]
G. †Suaptenos Lawrence 1943
+
†Suaptenos whitei Lawrence 1943
G. †Synemporion Ziegler et al. 2016
+
†Synemporion keana Ziegler et al. 2016
G. Tylonycteris Peters 1872 [bamboo bat]
G. Vespertilio Linnaeus 1758
+
Vespertilio majori Kormos 1934
Vespertilio murinus Linnaeus 1758
+
Invalid names: Vespertilio discolor Wagner 1843 [synonym]
Vespertilio nilssoni Keyserling and Blasius 1839
Vespertilio serotinus Schreber 1774
Subfm. Vespertilionae Kurten and Anderson 1980
+
G. Dasypterus Reuter 1871
G. Histiotus Gervais 1855
+
†Histiotus stocki Stirton 1931
G. Plecotus Geoffroy 1818
+
Subg. †Plecotus (Paraplecotus) Rabaeder 1973
+
†Plecotus alleganiensis Gidley and Gazin 1933
Plecotus auritus Linnaeus 1758 [common long-eared bat]
Plecotus austriacus Fischer 1829
†Plecotus crassidens Kormos 1930
†Plecotus rafinesquii Lesson 1818
†Plecotus tetralophodon Handley 1955
Plecotus townsendii Cooper 1837 [Townsend's big-eared bat]
Tr. Vespertilionina Gray 1825
+
G. Proboscidea Spix 1823
Invalid names: Myotinae Tate 1942 [empty], Nyctophylinae [empty], Vespertilioninae Gray 1821 [empty]
Diagnosis
No diagnoses are available
Measurements
No measurements are available
Composition: phosphaticsubp
Maximum body mass: 60 gs
Minimum body mass: 5 gg
Environment: terrestrialo
Locomotion: actively mobilec
Life habit: volanto
Diet: insectivoreo
Reproduction: viviparouso
Created: 2008-02-13 12:22:21
Modified: 2008-02-13 14:22:21
Source: s = species, g = genus, o = order, c = class, subp = subphylum
References: Carroll 1988, Ji et al. 2002, Czaplewski 1997, Hendy et al. 2009, Simmons et al. 2008

Age range

Maximum range based only on fossils: base of the Wasatchian to the top of the Holocene or 55.80000 to 0.00000 Ma
Minimum age of oldest fossil (stem group age): 50.3 Ma

Collections (382 total)

Oldest occurrences

Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Ypresian56.0 - 47.8France (Marne) Ageina sp. (35535) Ageina tobieni (35533)
Ypresian - Lutetian56.0 - 41.3Algeria (Bechar region) Drakonycteris glibzegdouensis (77014)
Ypresian - Lutetian56.0 - 41.3Tunisia Vespertilionidae indet., Chambinycteris pusilli (87795)
Lostcabinian55.8 - 50.3USA (Wyoming) Chiroptera indet. (15917) Honrovits tsuwape, Ageina tobieni (16073)
Wasatchian55.8 - 50.3USA (Wyoming) Honrovits tsuwape (15916)
Bridgerian50.3 - 46.2USA (Utah) Ageina sp. (16396)
MP 13 - MP 1448.6 - 40.4France (Quercy) Stehlinia ruetimeyeri, Stehlinia pusilla (36875)
Late/Upper Uintan46.2 - 39.7Canada (Saskatchewan) Wallia scalopidens (16626)
Bartonian41.3 - 38.0Switzerland (Baselland) Paleunycteris pusilla, Pseudorhinolophus egerkingensis (31720) Paleunycteris rutimeyeri (31721)
Bartonian41.3 - 38.0France (Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie) Stehlinia sp. (177581)
Bartonian41.3 - 38.0Switzerland (Canton de Vaud) Stehlinia minor, Cuvierimops sp. (182607)
Duchesnean39.7 - 37.0Canada (Saskatchewan) Vespertilionoidea indet., Wallia sp. (16845)
Priabonian38.0 - 33.9France (Quercy, Midi-Pyrenees Region) Tadarida sp. (12852) Tadarida sp., Stehlinia gracilis (12849) Tadarida sp.2 (31764)
Priabonian38.0 - 33.9France (Languedoc-Roussillon Region Region) Stehlinia sp. (31756)
Priabonian38.0 - 33.9France (Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur Region) Stehlinia minor, Cuvierimops sp. (31747)
Priabonian - Rupelian38.0 - 28.1Peru (Loreto) Molossidae indet. (144474)
Chadronian37.2 - 33.9USA (Nebraska) Chadronycteris rabenae (16941) Stehlinia sp., Chadronycteris rabenae (17014)
Chadronian37.2 - 33.9Canada (Saskatchewan) Wallia sp. (16919 16979)
Late/Upper Eocene37.2 - 33.9France (Quercy) Stehlinia minor, Stehlinia quercyi, Tadarida sp., Stehlinia gracilis (12850)
Late/Upper Eocene37.2 - 33.9United Kingdom (England) Stehlinia minor, Stehlinia gracilis (41665)