Records of the Western Australian Museum 17: 191-212 (1995). 
The Myotis adversus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) species complex in 
Eastern Indonesia, Australia, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands 
D.J. Kitchener 1 , N. Cooper 1 and I. Maryanto 2 
1 Western Australian Museum, Francis Street, Perth, Western Australia 6000 > 
2 Balitbang Zoologi, LIPI, Jalan Ir. H. Juanda 9, Bogor, Indonesia, 16122 
Abstract - Comparison of cranial, external and bacular morphology and 
univariate and multivariate statistical analyses of 149 specimens, previously 
attributed to Myotis adversus (Horsfield, 1824) was carried out on specimens 
principally from eastern Indonesia and Australia. These comparisons 
indicated the existence of a complex of three species and six subspecies. 
These taxa are as follows: Myotis a. adversus (Java I., Nusa Penida I., Kangean 
I., Sumbawa I., Moyo I., Flores I., Lembata I., Pantar 1., Alor I., Timor I., 
Savu I.); Myotis adversus tanimbarensis subsp. nov. (Yamdena I.); Myotis 
adversus welarensis subsp. nov. (Wetar I.); Myotis moluccarum moluccarum 
(Western Australia, Seram and Papua New Guinea; and possibly also 
including (he form from Solomon I.); Myotis moluccarum richardsi subsp. nov. 
(Queensland, Northern Territory) and Myotis macropus (Victoria and South 
Australia). 
These above taxa have not previously been reported from Nusa Penida I., 
Kangean I., Sumbawa I., Moyo I., Lembata I., Pantar 1., Alor I., Savu I., 
Yamdena 1., and Wetar I. 
Multiple regression analysis indicated that while the skull, dentary and 
dental characters of the above Myotis were not significantly influenced by 
sex, many of the wing measurements were influenced by sex. Almost all 
characters were very significantly (PcO.OOl) influenced by locality, but there 
was no significant interaction between sex and locality. 
INTRODUCTION 
Myotis adversus (Horsfield, 1824) is a medium 
sized member of the subgenus Leuconoe Boie, 1830 
that is characterised by unusually large feet. The 
species has a wide distributional range from 
Taiwan, Malaysia, Greater Sunda Islands (Sumatra, 
Java and Borneo), Lesser Sunda Islands (Flores), 
Karimata Island, Togian Islands, Peleng Island; 
Talaud Islands, Maluku Region (Seram, Ambon, 
Kai Islands), Solomon Islands, New Hebrides and 
Australia. Over its range it is morphologically very 
variable; some of this variation has been recognised 
taxonomically. 
A number of authors have reviewed or 
commented upon the taxonomy of Myotis adversus 
(Tate 1941; Phillips and Birney 1968; Medway 1977; 
Findlay 1972; Hill 1983; Hill in Corbet and Hill 
1992). The subspecies of M. adversus generally 
recognised are: 
Myotis adversus adversus (Horsfield, 1824) - Java, 
Lesser Sunda Islands, Malaysia (?); 
M, a. taiwanensis Arnback-Christie Linde, 1908 - 
Taiwan; 
M.a carimatae Miller, 1906 - Borneo, Karimata 
Island; 
M. a. moluccarum (Thomas, 1915) - Sulawesi, 
Maluku Region, New Guinea; 
M. a. solomonis (Troughton, 1929) - Solomon 
Islands; 
M. a. orientis Hill, 1983 - New Hebrides; and 
M. a. macropus (Gould, 1855) - South Australia 
Hill (1983) followed Phillips and Birney (1968) in 
placing M. a. solomonis in synonymy with M. a. 
moluccarum. 
There is some contention as to the subspecific 
status of the Australian form of Myotis adversus. 
Dobson (1878) compared the types of Vespertilio 
macropus with Vespertilio adversus and concluded 
that he was "quite unable to discover any 
difference. Both agree in dentition, in the form of 
the head and ears, and in all other respects". 
Thomas (1915) agreed with Dobson (1878) that the 
type of V. macropus cannot be distinguished from 
Javanese V. adversus. However, Thomas (1915) 
incorrectly stated that the type of V. macropus was 
from Western Australia, when it was in fact from 
South Australia (Mahoney and Walton 1988). 
Thomas (1915) included a specimen from Port 
Essington, Northern Territory, Australia, in his 
description of Leuconoe moluccarum and noted that 
