Recently Discovered Iranian Population of Rousettus leschenaultii (Chiroptera; Petropodidae), Highlighting the Essential Need for Taxonomic Expertise in Applied Medical Sciences

Background: Bats are potential reservoir hosts for vector-borne diseases that can transmit many bacterial and viral agents to humans. Fruit bats are considered reservoirs of many viruses and they are of major importance in the medical sciences for controlling and preventing vector-borne diseases. This study aimed to compare the morphological and genetic differences of two fruit bat species, Rousettus aegyptiacus and R. leschenaultii in Iran, implying anessential need for taxonomic expertise in applied medical sciences. Methods: In this experimental study, we collected and identified 26 specimens of bats belonging to two fruit bat species from the southeast of Iran. The morphological and genetic differences were characterized between recently recorded migratory fruit bat R. leschenaultii and the morphologically similar and resident R. aegyptiacus. The haplotype network was generated using the program POPART. The nucleotide variation and population differentiation were calculated in DNAsp. Furthermore, we considered additional records of 15 specimens from three widespread bat species in the north of Iran. Results: Morphological characterization of two fruit bat species showed R. aegyptiacus is larger than R. leschenaultii in morphometric variables except tail length (TL) for both sexes. The demographic analyses revealed that all haplotypes of R. leschenaulti formed a single haplogroup in the species’ distributional range. In contrast, haplotypes of R. aegyptiacus were divided into five haplogroups respecting taxa/localities. The results represent a strong signature of population expansion for these two species of bats. Conclusion: Population of the fruit bats throughout their ranges in the Middle East may indicate an increased risk of the spread of viral agents over time. Therefore, precise identification of hosts and vectors in applied medical sciences is essential to conduct standard procedures.