A new study in Acta Chiropterologica (22:1) has described a new bat species in southern Africa named Wilson’s Long-fingered Bat, Miniopterus wilsoni, after Faculty Emeritus Edward O. Wilson.
The new species, which is found on Mount Gorongosa in Mozambique and in the mountains of central and northern Mozambique and southern Malawi, was collected as part of the E.O. Wilson Laboratory at Gorongosa National Park mission to explore, document, and protect biodiveristy of Gorongosa National Park. The lab's goal to create a detailed picture of life in Gorongosa will help in the park's restoration efforts and offers research and training opportunities in biodiversity-related fields for students and conservation leaders in Mozambique.
Image: minioterus-wilsoni by Piotr Naskrecki
This new species was collected as part of the E.O. Wilson Lab’s ongoing biodiversity exploration, which seeks to document all macroscopic flora and fauna in the Greater Gorongosa Ecosystem.