Vespertilionidae is a family of microbats, of the order Chiroptera, flying, insect-eating mammals variously described as the common, vesper, or simple nosed bats. The vespertilionid family is the most diverse and widely distributed of bat families, specialised in many forms to occupy a range of habitats and ecological circumstances, and it is frequently observed or the subject of research. The facial features of the species are often simple, as they mainly rely on vocally emitted echolocation. The tails of the species are enclosed by the lower flight membranes between the legs. Over 300 species are distributed all over the world, on every continent except Antarctica. It owes its name to the genus Vespertilio, which takes its name from a word for bat, vespertilio, derived from the Latin term vesper meaning 'evening'; they are termed "evening bats" and were once referred to as "evening birds".
The serotine bat, also known as the common serotine bat, big brown bat, or silky bat, is a fairly large Eurasian bat with quite large ears. It has a wingspan of around 37 cm (15 in) and often hunts in woodland. It sometimes roosts in buildings, hanging upside down, in small groups or individually. The name serotine is derived from the Latin serotinus, which means 'evening', while the generic name derives from Greek ἔπιεν and οίκος, which means 'house flyer'.
Eptesicus is a genus of bats, commonly called house bats or serotine bats, in the family Vespertilionidae. The genus name is likely derived from the Greek words ptetikos 'able to fly' or petomai 'house flier', although this is not certain.
Botta's serotine is a species of vesper bat, one of 25 in the genus Eptesicus. It is found in rocky areas and temperate desert.
The Malagasy serotine, is a species of vesper bat. It is found only in Madagascar. It was formerly classified in Neoromicia before phylogenetic analysis found it to belong to Laephotis.
Neoromicia is a genus of vesper bat in the family Vespertilionidae. It contains the following species:
The Cape serotine is a species of vesper bat occurring in Sub-Saharan Africa. 'Serotine' is from Latin 'serotinus' meaning ‘of the evening'.
Heller's serotine, formerly known as Heller's pipistrelle, is a species of vesper bat. It is only found in Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania, and Uganda.
The banana serotine, formerly known as the banana pipistrelle, is a species of vesper bat found throughout much of Africa. It was previously known as Pipistrellus nanus, but genetic analysis later reclassified it in Neoromicia. However, more recent phylogenetic evidence indicates that it and Heller's serotine comprise the distinct genus Afronycteris.
The Vespertilioninae are a subfamily of vesper bats from the family Vespertilionidae.
Laephotis is a genus of bats in the family Vespertilionidae. Species within this genus are:
Mimetillus is a genus of vesper bat in the family Vespertilionidae. It contains two species, both known as mimic bats and found in sub-Saharan Africa.
Nycticeinops is a genus of vesper bat in the family Vespertilionidae. It contains the following species:
Hesperoptenus is a genus of bats within the Vespertilionidae or vesper bat family.
The Isalo serotine is a vesper bat of Madagascar in the genus Laephotis. It is known only from the vicinity of the Isalo National Park in the southwestern part of the island, where it has been caught in riverine habitats. After the first specimen was caught in 1967, it was described as a subspecies of Eptesicus somalicus in 1995. After four more specimens were collected in 2002 and 2003, it was recognized as a separate species. Because of its small distribution and the threat of habitat destruction, it is considered "vulnerable" in the IUCN Red List.
Rosevear's serotine is a species of vesper bat that lives in Guinea and Liberia. It was described as a new species in 2013. It is listed as endangered by the IUCN.
Laephotis stanleyi, also called Stanley's serotine, is a species of vesper bat in the genus Laephotis. It is found across southern Africa. The species was formerly known as N. cf. melckorum, before being named as a species in 2017.
Eptescini is a tribe of bats in the family Vespertilionidae. This tribe has a cosmopolitan distribution.
Pseudoromicia is a genus of vesper bat in the family Vespertilionidae. All species in this genus are native to sub-Saharan Africa.
Vespertilionini is a tribe of bats in the family Vespertilionidae. The largest of the tribes in Vespertilioninae, it contains many genera found throughout the Old World and Australasia.
