Two species of
Nyctalus, the large noctule
N. lasiopterus aviator THOMAS, 1911 and the lesser noctule
N. noctula motoyoshii KURODA, 1934 (=
Nyctalus noctula NAMIE, 1889), have been known from Japan. The former is common everywhere, but the latter seems to be rare and is known only by two missing syntypes studied by Namie. The author recently had an opportunity to examine several specimens of a kind of smaller noctule obtained from Japan, which were remarkably different from
motoyoshii and much similar to the typical
noctula. This raised a doubt about the taxonomic status of
motoyoshii. Then, the original description and the figures of this species were carefully examined and several characters differing from the genus
Nyctalus were found out by the author. On the other hand, all the characters of
motoyoshii mentioned in the original description well agree with
Vespertilio from Japan. Therefore,
motoyoshii seems to be nothing but a synonym of
Vespertilio superans which is rather common to the type locality of the former, Chichibu, central Japan.
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