Discovery of Kerivoula kachinensis and a validity of K. titania (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) in China

In April 2019, 15 (10 male, 5 female) Kerivoula bats were collected by harp traps from Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province, China. External and craniodental examination, multivariate statistical analyses and molecular phylogenetic inference (CoI, Cytb and Rag2 gene markers) indicated they are Kerivoula kachinensis and Kerivoula titania, respectively. Former represents a new chiropteran record from China, while the latter is a valid occurrence of K. titania in this region because recent study indicate a misidentification of "K. titania" in Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan, China. All specimens are presently preserved at Key Laboratory of Conservation and Application in Biodiversity of South China in Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, China. Nowadays, four woolly bats occur in China including, Kerivoula furva, K. kachinensis, Kerivoula picta and K. titania, whilst there is a risk of underestimation the actual species diversity in China region when comparing those of neighboring region such as Vietnam. Supports for field survey need to be continued in future.