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".
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.
Bobrinski's serotine is a species of vesper bat. It can be found in Iran and Kazakhstan.
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.
Schlieffen's serotine, also known as Schlieffen's bat or Schlieffen's twilight bat, is a species of vesper bat found in Africa. It has been placed in numerous genera since its first description in 1859, but morphological and genetic studies have confirmed it as the only species in the genus Nycticeinops. It is named for the collector of the original specimen, Wilhelm von Schlieffen-Schlieffiennburg.
The broad-headed serotine, formerly known as the broad-headed pipistrelle, is a species of vesper bat in the family Vespertilionidae. It is found in Angola, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Guinea, liberia, Kenya, South Sudan, and Uganda. Its natural habitats are subtropical and tropical forests.
Neoromicia is a genus of vesper bat in the family Vespertilionidae. It contains the following species:
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:
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.
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.
Afronycteris is a genus of vesper bat containing two species, both of which are found in sub-Saharan Africa. Its members were previously classified in Neoromicia before phylogenetic analysis found them to comprise a separate genus.
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.
