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The systematics and taxonomy of the Neotropical genus Micronycteris are not yet resolved; previous studies evidenced paraphyletic relationships, a number of potential undescribed species, and inadequate diagnostic characters. This revision focuses on the pale‐bellied members of the genus using phylogenetic and morphometric tools, an increased sample size with all recognized taxa, and an expanded geographic coverage relative to prior studies. For the genetic analyses (n = 166), four molecular markers were concatenated, one mitochondrial (cytb), one nuclear (Fgb‐I7), and two Y‐chromosomal (DBY5 and DBY7). In the Bayesian and maximum likelihood analyses, the recognized subgenera Schizonycteris, Leuconycteris, Xenoctenes, and Micronycteris were recovered as monophyletic. The pale‐bellied subgenera, Schizonycteris and Leuconycteris, were not sister clades; thus, venter coloration was not monophyletic. Leuconycteris was sister to the dark‐bellied Micronycteris, and Schizonycteris was sister to the rest of the genus. Micronycteris schmidtorum was genetically defined for the first time, and it was determined all previous phylogenetic studies used a misidentified M. minuta from Bolivia. Our results showed a sister relationship between M. schmidtorum and M. brosseti, which redefines Leuconycteris. The subgenus Schizonycteris was also redefined, and it presented two well‐supported clades from Central America and western Ecuador that are described as new species. Results are supported by a multivariate morphometric analyses (n = 114), karyological, and morphological comparisons. The taxonomic implications are discussed and emended diagnoses presented for the pale‐bellied subgenera and for M. schmidtorum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes and names a species of bonneted bat from the lowlands of Ecuador and Peru. The Genetic Species Concept was the conceptual basis for the description of the species with speciation by the Bateson-Dobzhanzky-Muller model. The species was distinguished by its unique karyotype, sequence of mitochondrial cytochrome-b gene and genetic markers revealed through analysis of Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms. The new species was smaller than Eumop (E) floridanus and E. glaucinus. It has been proposed that common name for the species be Wilson's bonneted bat.