Cellular location and major terminal networks of the orexinergic system in the brain of two megachiropterans.

•The organization of orexinergic system is described in the brain of two species of megachiropteran bats.•The system is organized in a similar manner to other mammals.•There is a feature that reflects a phylogenetic signal in the evolution of this neural system.•This difference in the orexinergic system appears to correlate with a diphyletic origin of the chiroptera.