Laephotis capensis

(A. Smith, 1829)

Cape Serotine

Taxonomy

Subclass : Theria
Infraclass : Placentalia
Magnorder : Boreoeutheria
Superorder : Laurasiatheria
Order : Chiroptera
Suborder : Vespertilioniformes
Superfamily : Vespertilionoidea
Family : Vespertilionidae
Subfamily : Vespertilioninae
Tribe : Vespertilionini
Genus : Laephotis

Species status

Living
Found in the wild
Listed in MSW3 2005

Authority citation

Smith, A. 1829-05. Contributions to the natural history of South Africa. Zoological Journal 4(16):433-444.

Authority publication link

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2310844

Original name as described

Vespertilio Capensis

Other common names

Cape Bat · Cape House Bat · Cape Pipistrelle Bat

Type material

BMNH:Mamm:1849.8.16.21

Type kind

lectotype

Type specimen URI

https://data.nhm.ac.uk/object/1fccfbbf-e1d3-44b6-9e50-2f358a843422

Type locality

Grahamstown, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa.

Biogeographic realm

Afrotropic

Country distribution

Guinea-Bissau · Guinea · Cote d'Ivoire · Ghana · Togo · Benin · Nigeria · Cameroon · Equatorial Guinea · Gabon · Republic of the Congo · Central African Republic · Democratic Republic of the Congo · South Sudan · Sudan · Eritrea · Ethiopia · Somalia · Uganda · Kenya · Rwanda · Burundi · Tanzania · Angola · Zambia · Malawi · Mozambique · Namibia · Botswana · Zimbabwe · South Africa · Lesotho · Eswatini

Taxonomy notes

includes melckorum; moved from Neoromicia to Laephotis

Taxonomy notes citation

Bates, P. J., Ratrimomanarivo, F. H., Harrison, D. L., & Goodman, S. M. (2006). A description of a new species of Pipistrellus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from Madagascar with a review of related Vespertilioninae from the island. Acta Chiropterologica, 8(2), 299-324. · Goodman, S. M., Taylor, P. J., Ratrimomanarivo, F., & Hoofer, S. (2012). The genus Neoromicia (Family Vespertilionidae) in Madagascar, with the description of a new species. Zootaxa, 3250(1), 1-25. · Goodman, S. M., Kearney, T., Ratsimbazafy, M. M., & Hassanin, A. (2017). Description of a new species of Neoromicia (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from southern Africa: A name for N. cf. melckorum. Zootaxa, 4236(2), 351-374. · Monadjem, A., T. C. Demos, D. L. Dalton, P. W. Webala, S. Musila, J. C. K. Peterhans and B. D. Patterson (2021). A revision of pipistrelle-like bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) in East Africa with the description of new genera and species. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 191(4): 1114–1146.

IUCN Red List status

Not Evaluated

Species Permalink

https://www.mammaldiversity.org/taxon/1005731

Country distribution map

The map below provides a general overview. Most species inhabit only specific regions within countries. Hover over the highlighted regions to see the country name.

Names and synonyms

Present and past (if available) associated names to the species. Click on a name to view its details. If the list is long, scroll down to see more.

Vespertilio Capensis

(A. Smith, 1829)

Family

Vespertilionidae

Root name

capensis

Validity status

species

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

BMNH:Mamm:1849.8.16.21

Type kind

lectotype

Type specimen URI

https://data.nhm.ac.uk/object/1fccfbbf-e1d3-44b6-9e50-2f358a843422

Authority page

435

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2310844

Authority publication

Zoological Journal

Name usages

  1. Smuts (1832:7, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/43088730) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/60235)
  2. Lesson (1836:86, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/62814769) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/61467)
  3. Gray (1838:496, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/40026399) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/34750)
  4. Roberts (1913:66, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/50439524) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/17656)

Vespertilio minuta

(Temminck, 1840)

Family

Vespertilionidae

Root name

minutus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

preoccupied

Authority page

209

Authority publication

Leiden

Name usages

Temminck (1840:209) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/59644)

Pipistrellus capensis

(Lesson, 1842)

Family

Vespertilionidae

Root name

capensis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

29

Authority publication

Paris

Name usages

  1. Lesson (1842:29) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/36812)
  2. Corbet & Hill (1991:76) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/63070)
  3. Koopman (1994:117) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/58061)
  4. Yalden, Largen, Kock & Hillman (1996:87) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/36072)
  5. Happold & Happold (2013:614) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/27624)

Pipistrellus minuta

(Lesson, 1842)

Family

Vespertilionidae

Root name

minutus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

29

Authority publication

Paris

Name usages

Lesson (1842:29) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/36812)

Vespertilio minutus

(H. R. Schinz, 1844)

Family

Vespertilionidae

Root name

minutus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

164

Authority publication

Solothurn

Name usages

  1. Schinz (1844:164) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/36043)
  2. Murray (1866:349, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15580345) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/39798)

Scotophilus minutus

(Tomes, 1857)

Family

Vespertilionidae

Root name

minutus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

227

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2365988

Authority publication

Annals and Magazine of Natural History

Name usages

Tomes (1857:227, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2365988) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/68352)

Vesperus minutus

(Fitzinger, 1870)

Family

Vespertilionidae

Root name

minutus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

117

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/6704520

Authority publication

Sitzungsberichte der Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften

Name usages

  1. Fitzinger (1870:117, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/6704520) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/37104)
  2. Matschie (1895:24, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14835417) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67260)

Vesperus capensis

(du Bocage, 1889)

Family

Vespertilionidae

Root name

capensis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

17

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/3418971

Authority publication

Jornal de sciencias mathematicas, physicas e naturaes

Name usages

Bocage (1889:17, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/3418971) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67736)

Vesperus damarensis

(Noack, 1889)

Family

Vespertilionidae

Root name

damarensis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

ZMB A.4903, ZMB 86231, ZMUZ (no number given)

Type kind

syntypes

Authority page

213

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/9980726

Authority publication

Zoologische Jahrbücher

Vesperugo minutus

(von Lorenz-Liburnau, 1898)

Family

Vespertilionidae

Root name

minutus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

455

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/26416338

Authority publication

Abhandlungen der Senckenbergischen naturforschenden Gesellschaft

Name usages

  1. Lorenz-Liburnau (1898:455, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/26416338) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/66745)
  2. Seabra (1900:21) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/68460)

Vesperugo (Vesperus) capensis

(de Seabra, 1900)

Family

Vespertilionidae

Root name

capensis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

22

Authority publication

Jornal de sciencias mathematicas, physicas e naturaes

Name usages

Seabra (1900:22) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/68460)

Vespertilio capensis gracilior

(O. Thomas & Schwann, 1905)

Family

Vespertilionidae

Root name

gracilior

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

BMNH:Mamm:1904.8.31.3

Type kind

holotype

Authority page

257

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/31856789

Authority publication

Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London

Scabrifer notius

(G. M. Allen, 1908)

Family

Vespertilionidae

Root name

notius

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

MCZ:Mamm:4555

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

https://mczbase.mcz.harvard.edu/guid/MCZ:Mamm:4555

Authority page

46

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/30093022

Authority publication

Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology

Eptesicus capensis

(Hollister, 1916)

Family

Vespertilionidae

Root name

capensis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

3

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/29837320

Authority publication

Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections

Name usages

  1. Hollister (1916:3, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/29837320) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/35049)
  2. Kershaw (1923:358, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/32989860) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/17116)
  3. Roberts (1924:60) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/17634)
  4. Thomas (1929:101) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/14027)
  5. Shortridge (1934:61) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/69309)
  6. Monard (1935:45) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/68479)
  7. Hill & Carter (1941:46) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/16955)
  8. Shortridge (1942:37, 79, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/40888916, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/40888996) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/48770)
  9. Shortridge (1942:79) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/48770)
  10. Corbet & Hill (1980:69) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/63069)
  11. Honacki, Kinman & Koeppl (1982:173) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/63071)
  12. Koopman (1993:201) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/69007)

Eptesicus garambae

(J. A. Allen in J. A. Allen, Lang, & Chapin, 1917)

Family

Vespertilionidae

Root name

garambae

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

AMNH M-49340

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

http://portal.vertnet.org/o/amnh/mammals?id=urn-catalog-amnh-mammals-m-49340

Authority page

445

Authority publication

Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History

Eptesicus melckorum

(A. Roberts, 1919)

Family

Vespertilionidae

Root name

melckorum

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

TM 2283

Type kind

holotype

Authority page

113

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/50361403

Authority publication

Annals of the Transvaal Museum

Name usages

  1. Roberts (1924:60) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/17634)
  2. Corbet & Hill (1980:69) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/63069)
  3. Honacki, Kinman & Koeppl (1982:174) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/63071)
  4. Koopman (1993:202) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/69007)

Eptesicus capensis gracilior

(A. Roberts, 1924)

Family

Vespertilionidae

Root name

gracilior

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

60

Authority publication

Annals of the Transvaal Museum

Name usages

Roberts (1924:60) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/17634)

Eptesicus capensis damarensis

(O. Thomas, 1929)

Family

Vespertilionidae

Root name

damarensis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

101

Authority publication

Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London

Name usages

  1. Thomas (1929:101) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/14027)
  2. Shortridge (1934:61) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/69309)
  3. Hill & Carter (1941:46) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/16955)

Eptesicus minutus

(G. M. Allen & Coolidge, 1930)

Family

Vespertilionidae

Root name

minutus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

579

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/61248243

Authority publication

Cambridge (Massachusetts)

Name usages

  1. Allen & Coolidge (1930:579, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/61248243) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/68614)
  2. Monard (1935:44) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/68479)

Eptesicus capensis nkatiensis

(A. Roberts, 1932)

Family

Vespertilionidae

Root name

nkatiensis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

TM 6549

Type kind

holotype

Authority page

16

Authority publication

Annals of the Transvaal Museum

Name usages

Shortridge (1934:61) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/69309)

Eptesicus capensis capensis

(Shortridge, 1934)

Family

Vespertilionidae

Root name

capensis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

61

Authority publication

London

Name usages

  1. Shortridge (1934:61) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/69309)
  2. Shortridge (1942:37, 79, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/40888916, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/40888996) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/48770)
  3. Shortridge (1942:79) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/48770)

P. c. capensis

(Koopman, 1994)

Family

Vespertilionidae

Root name

capensis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

117

Authority publication

Berlin

Name usages

Koopman (1994:117) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/58061)

P. c. damarensis

(Koopman, 1994)

Family

Vespertilionidae

Root name

damarensis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

117

Authority publication

Berlin

Name usages

Koopman (1994:117) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/58061)

S. b. damarensis

(Koopman, 1994)

Family

Vespertilionidae

Root name

damarensis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

128

Authority publication

Berlin

Name usages

Koopman (1994:128) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/58061)

P. c. garambae

(Koopman, 1994)

Family

Vespertilionidae

Root name

garambae

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

117

Authority publication

Berlin

Name usages

Koopman (1994:117) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/58061)

P. c. gracilior

(Koopman, 1994)

Family

Vespertilionidae

Root name

gracilior

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

117

Authority publication

Berlin

Name usages

Koopman (1994:117) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/58061)

P. melckorum

(Koopman, 1994)

Family

Vespertilionidae

Root name

melckorum

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

117

Authority publication

Berlin

Name usages

Koopman (1994:117) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/58061)

P. c. notius

(Koopman, 1994)

Family

Vespertilionidae

Root name

notius

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

117

Authority publication

Berlin

Name usages

Koopman (1994:117) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/58061)

Neoromicia capensis

(Simmons, 2005)

Family

Vespertilionidae

Root name

capensis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority publication

Baltimore

Name usages

  1. Simmons (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8551)
  2. Monadjem, Schoeman, Reside, Pio, Stoffberg, Bayliss, Cotterill, Curran, Kopp & Taylor (2010:384) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/1775)
  3. Mammal Diversity Database (2018:ID #44918) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67336)
  4. Mammal Diversity Database (2019:ID #44918) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67337)
  5. Wilson & Mittermeier (2019:819) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/59249)
  6. Benda, Uvizl, Mazoch, Šklíba & Červený (2022:315) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/62780)
  7. International Union for the Conservation of Nature (2024, https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/44918/22048372) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67246)

Neoromicia capensis capensis

(Simmons, 2005)

Family

Vespertilionidae

Root name

capensis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority publication

Baltimore

Name usages

Simmons (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8551)

Neoromicia capensis damarensis

(Simmons, 2005)

Family

Vespertilionidae

Root name

damarensis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority publication

Baltimore

Name usages

Simmons (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8551)

Neoromicia capensis garambae

(Simmons, 2005)

Family

Vespertilionidae

Root name

garambae

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority publication

Baltimore

Name usages

Simmons (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8551)

Neoromicia capensis gracilior

(Simmons, 2005)

Family

Vespertilionidae

Root name

gracilior

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority publication

Baltimore

Name usages

Simmons (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8551)

Neoromicia melckorum

(Simmons, 2005)

Family

Vespertilionidae

Root name

melckorum

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority publication

Baltimore

Name usages

  1. Simmons (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8551)
  2. Bates, Ratrimomanarivo, Harrison & Goodman (2006:315) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/1636)
  3. Mammal Diversity Database (2018:ID #44922) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67336)
  4. Mammal Diversity Database (2019:ID #44922) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67337)
  5. International Union for the Conservation of Nature (2024, https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/44922/22047486) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67246)

Neoromicia capensis nkatiensis

(Simmons, 2005)

Family

Vespertilionidae

Root name

nkatiensis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority publication

Baltimore

Name usages

Simmons (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8551)

Neoromicia capensis notius

(Simmons, 2005)

Family

Vespertilionidae

Root name

notius

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority publication

Baltimore

Name usages

Simmons (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8551)

Laephotis capensis

Monadjem, Demos, D. L. Dalton, Webala, Musila, Kerbis Peterhans, & B. D. Patterson, 2020

Family

Vespertilionidae

Root name

capensis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

1128

Authority publication

Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society

Name usages

  1. Monadjem, Demos, Dalton, Webala, Musila, Kerbis Peterhans & Patterson (2020:1128) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/51199)
  2. Mammal Diversity Database (2024, https://www.mammaldiversity.org/taxon/1005731) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67250)
  3. Demos, Webala, Monadjem & Patterson (2025:145) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/68419)

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