Vespertilionidae Research Articles

Unusual finding of chewing louse Quadraceps cf. junceus (Scopoli, 1763) (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera) on Nathusius pipistrelle Pipistrellus nathusii (Keyserling & Blasius, 1839) (Mammalia: Chiroptera) with review of findings of lice reported from bats

Bats (Chiroptera) do not possess any specific louse species however, rare accidental registrations of this ectoparasites on chiropterans occur. Herein we report for the first time, identification of the lice Quadraceps cf. junceus (Ischnocera: Philopteridae) from vesper bat Pipistrellus nathusii (Keyserling & Blasius, 1839) (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) in Belarus. In addition, we provide and discuss previous findings about lice collected from bats.

Bat pollinators: a decade of monitoring reveals declining visitation rates for some species in Thailand

Bats are important pollinators, but they are difficult to study since they are volant and nocturnal. Thus, long-term studies of nectarivorous bats are scarce, despite their potential to help assess trends in bat populations and their pollination services. We used capture rates of nectarivorous bats at chiropterophilous flowers in order to examine temporal trends in bat visitation in an area that is undergoing extensive land use change. We mist-netted at five bat-pollinated plant taxa (Durio zibethinus, Musa acuminata, Oroxylum indicum, Parkia speciosa, and Sonneratia spp.) in southern Thailand over six years between 2011 and 2021. We found that the most common bat species, Eonycteris spelaea, was the main visitor at all five plant taxa and had consistent visitation rates across all study years. In contrast, two other important pollinators, Macroglossus minimus and M. sobrinus, showed 80% declines in the number of individuals netted at mangrove apple (Sonneratia spp.) and banana (Musa acuminata) flowers, respectively. These findings suggest that E. spelaea (a large, cave-roosting species with a broad diet) is more tolerant of anthropogenic change than are Macroglossus bats (small, foliage-roosting species with specialized diets), which may in turn affect the reproductive success of plants pollinated by these species. Our study demonstrates how decade-long monitoring can reveal species-specific temporal patterns in pollinator visitation, emphasizing the need for tailored conservation plans. While the conservation status of most nectarivorous bats in the area is Least Concern, our results indicate that population studies in Southeast Asia are urgently needed for updated bat species conservation assessments.

Comparative light and scanning electron microscopic studies of the lenses in the insectivorous bat (Pipistrellus kuhlii) and Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus).

Bats have the ability to fly without eye application in the darkness. In this study, we aimed to characterize the functional and structural acclimations of the lenses of two common bats with a various lifestyle in the Egyptian environment: the insectivorous bat (IB) (Pipistrellus kuhlii) and Egyptian fruit bat (FB) (Rousettus aegyptiacus). From each species, seven lenses were extracted from adult eyes. The scanning electron microscopic (SEM) and light microscopic examination of the lens were carried out. FB lenses were made up primarily of fiber cells and sheets, which were encapsulated by a thin collagenous capsule and covered by single epithelial layer anteriorly. On the other hand, the IB lens had two poles and was visibly oval shaped. Both lenses had epithelial cells of the same cuboidal form that were subjected to continuous division and differentiation into new fiber cells at the center. SEM revealed that the normal FB lens had regularly organized shells of fiber cells of intact lens fibers which were connected by membrane interdigitations with different shapes mainly ball-and-socket junctions through the superficial cortical fiber cells. The IB lens was composedof parallel, evenly spaced fibers with various types of interdigitations between fibers that can be seen and increased close to the middle region revealing tiny bumps along the scrubby portions and sockets and balls in the center of the wide portions. Near the center of both lenses, there were large interlocking paddles with little and lengthy protrusions along their short sides. In conclusion, our study discovered several ultrastructural and structural variations among the investigated species. The detection of specialized membrane interdigitations with different shapes protruding from the lens fiber sheets is considered the most characteristic of the FB lens. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: FB lens has more organized sheets of fibers parallel to each other than IB lens. Different shapes of interdigitations protruded from the FB lens have been detected. Interlocking paddles, balls, and sockets with tongue-like fiber flabs are characteristic to FB lens.

New record of Myotis ciliolabrum (Merriam, 1886) (Mammalia, Chiroptera) from the State of Mexico, Mexico

Myotis ciliolabrum (Merriam, 1886) is an insectivorous bat of the family Vespertilionidae and has a wide distribution from British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan in Canada, most of the western and central United States of America to central Mexico. In this study, we report one of the southernmost records from State of Mexico, based on two females collected in 1980 and stored in the Mammals Collection of the Universidad Autonóma Metropolitana. These records increases the knowledge on the distribution of this rare bat in Mexico.

Establishment of immortalized Egyptian Rousettus bat cell lines.

The Egyptian Rousettus bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus) is a common fruit bat species that is distributed mainly in Africa and the Middle East. Bats serve as reservoir hosts for numerous pathogens. Human activities, such as hunting bats for food, managing vermin, and causing habitat loss, elevate the likelihood of transmission of bat pathogens to humans and other animals. Consequently, bat cell lines play a crucial role as research materials for investigating viral pathogens. However, the inherent limitation of finite cell division in primary cells necessitates the use of immortalized cells derived from various bat tissues. Herein, we successfully established six fibroblast cell lines derived from an infant bat heart and lungs and an elderly bat heart. Three of the six cell lines, called K4DT cells, were transduced by a combination of cell cycle regulators, mutant cyclin-dependent kinase 4, cyclin D1, and human telomerase reverse transcriptase. The other three cell lines, named SV40 cells, were transfected with simian virus 40 large T antigen. Transgene protein expression was detected in the transduced cells. All three K4DT cell lines and one lung-derived SV40 cell line were virtually immortalized and nearly maintained the normal diploid karyotypes. However, the two other heart-derived SV40 cell lines had aberrant karyotypes and the young bat-derived cell line stopped proliferating at approximately 40 population doublings. These bat cell lines are valuable for studying pathogen genomics and biology.

New records of Histiotus montanus and Neoeptesicus ulapesensis (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) in Argentina

Abstract New records are provided for two species of bat from Argentina belonging to the family Vespertilionidae, Histiotus montanus and the recently described Neoeptesicus ulapesensis. These data extend the range of both species incorporating them into two new provinces. One record comes from the revision of a specimen deposited in the Colección Mamíferos Lillo for more than six decades, highlighting the importance of biological collections for studying the systematics and distribution of species.

Bat-Borne Pathogens and Public Health in Rural African Artisanal Gold Mines.

Marburg virus, the first filovirus discovered and a close cousin to the Ebola virus, is carried by the Egyptian rousette bat, a common cave-dwelling fruit bat endemic to sub-Saharan Africa whose populations can exceed 50 000 individuals. Community outbreaks of Marburg virus can result in high morbidity rates. In eastern Africa, favorite habitats of these bats include rural subterranean gold mines-sometimes worked illegally-that create environments conducive to zoonotic virus transmission. This commentary on a case describes how outbreaks of Marburg virus disease among people exposed to sub-Saharan African caves and mines containing these bats cause tensions among miners, companies, public health officials, and conservationists.

Sexual dichromatism in the fur of a bat: An exploration of color differences and potential signaling functions.

Sex differences in body color (i.e., sexual dichromatism) are rare in bats and, more broadly, in mammals. The eastern red bat (Lasiurus borealis) is a common tree-roosting bat that occupies much of North America and has long been described as sexually dichromatic. However, previous research on this species found that absolute body size and collection year were better predictors of fur color in preserved specimens than sex. We revisited this issue and photographed 82 live eastern red bats under standardized conditions, then used image analysis to quantify pelage hue, saturation, and value. We used an information theoretic approach to evaluate four competing hypotheses about the principal drivers of color differences in the fur of eastern red bats. Our analyses demonstrated that sex was a better predictor of pelage color than body size; males had redder, more saturated, and lighter pelages than females. Additionally, the fur color of juvenile versus adult bats differed somewhat, as juveniles were darker than adults. In general, absolute body size (i.e., forearm length in bats) was a poor predictor of color in live eastern red bats. In an exploratory post-hoc analysis, we confirm that fur color is related to body mass (i.e., a proxy for body condition in bats), suggesting color might serve as a sexually selected signal of mate quality in this partially diurnal species. Future work should investigate the functional role of sexual dichromatism in this species, which could be related to signaling or possibly thermoregulation.

Temporal mismatches in flight activity patterns between Pipistrellus kuhlii and Prays oleae in olive farms: Implications for biocontrol services potential

Abstract Biocontrol services are widely recognized to provide key incentives for bat conservation. However, we have virtually no information on whether and how disruptions in bat‐mediated biocontrol services are driven by mismatches between the temporal activity patterns of insectivorous bats and insect pests. We investigated the temporal relationship between the nightly activity patterns of the common pipistrelle bat (Pipistrellus kuhlii) and the olive fruit moth (Prays oleae). Temporal mismatches between species pairs were estimated as the time difference (expressed as a percentage of the night) at which P. kuhlii and P. oleae reached 50% of their abundance. The study was carried out during spring, summer, and fall between 2017 and 2019 in 60 olive farms representing increasing levels of structural simplification (as a surrogate of agricultural intensification). Olive farms were classified as exhibiting high (i.e. HIGH olive farms; n = 27), intermediate (MID; n = 18), and low (LOW; n = 15) structural complexity. Temporal mismatches between the activity levels of P. kuhlii and P. oleae varied between seasons and types of olive farms, being comparatively lower in summer than in spring and fall. Furthermore, summer was the only season in which temporal mismatches between species pairs differed between types of olive farms, with higher temporal mismatches found in LOW than in HIGH and MID olive farms. Overall, our work demonstrates the existence of temporal mismatches between the nightly activity patterns of P. kuhlii and P. oleae. Furthermore, it demonstrates that the structural simplification of olive farms increases temporal mismatches between species pairs, particularly in summer when bat‐mediated biocontrol services are most needed. Synthesis and applications. Future research should consider mismatches between the temporal activity patterns of insectivorous bats and insect pests. Otherwise, the actual impact of agricultural intensification on bat‐mediated biocontrol services as well as the economic impact of their loss on the agriculture industry might be underestimated. To enhance biocontrol services, we propose increasing the availability of suitable roosting and foraging sites as well as conserving areas of remnant native woodland and scattered hollow‐bearing trees.

Bats (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae) of the Bashkiria National Park

In 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022 in the national park “Bashkiria” located in the southeastern part of the Republic of Bashkortostan, studies of the local fauna of bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) were carried out. The uniqueness of the specially protected natural area lies in the presence of linden-maple-oak forests located on the eastern border of their range and a wide variety of surface and deep relief forms associated with the development of karst rocks. As a result, data on the habitation of 12 species of bats, which belong to six genera of the Vespertilionidae family, were obtained. Of these, eight species are included in the regional Red Book. The species Nyctalus lasiopterus, listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation, was found in the Republic of Bashkortostan for the fi rst time. A cadastre is presented with a description of the places of work, geographical coordinates and results of catches, information on wintering places, the nature of stay in the region, reproduction, age and sex composition of populations, indicators of relative abundance. According to traps, the most numerous in the national park are: Pipistrellus nathusii, Vespertilio murinus, Myotis brandtii, Nyctalus noctula, M. daubentonii and Plecotus auritus. Few species are: Eptesicus nilssonii, M. mystacinus, N. leisleri and M. dasycneme, while M. nattereri and N. lasiopterus are rare. In addition to the identifi ed species, Pipistrellus pygmaeus, discovered by us 30 km south of the borders of the national park, can live on the territory. Recommendations on the protection of bats and the introduction of N. lasiopterus into the Red Book of the Republic of Bashkortostan are presented.

Note on the phylogenetic position of Eptesicus species in the Vespertilionidae family (Chiroptera) using Brazilian bats and RAG2 sequences.

Note on the phylogenetic position of Eptesicus species in the Vespertilionidae family (Chiroptera) using Brazilian bats and RAG2 sequences.

African bats in the collection of the National Museum, Prague (Chiroptera). II. Bats from Benin

A list of 58 specimens of bats belonging to 16 species of six families originating from Benin, housed in the collection of the National Museum, Prague, Czech Republic, is presented in a systematic review. The specimens represent 24 new records (species vs. locality) of bats from Benin. The species lists are complemented by comments on distribution and morphometric data. The collection contains three species new for the Beninese fauna, Hipposideros jonesi, H. abae, and H. cf. lamottei, and the bat fauna of Benin now comprises 55 species in total. Scotophilus nigrita is documented from Benin for the second time, and for the first time from a specific record site in this country. Besides the majority of common bat species, considering their available records in Benin, the collection includes several other species rather uncommon in the country, such as Rhinolophus fumigatus, Hipposideros cf. ruber, Pseudoromicia rendalli, or Scotophilus livingstonii. In two of the latter group of species, the molecular genetic analysis revealed new extents of distribution for particular mitochondrial lineages in Benin, like the D lineage of H. cf. ruber or S. livingstonii s.str. As complete as possible check-list of the Beninese bat fauna comprising all known record localities is included.

Understanding fatality patterns and sex ratios of Brazilian free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) at wind energy facilities in western California and Texas

Background Operation of wind turbines has resulted in collision fatalities for several bat species, and one proven method to reduce these fatalities is to limit wind turbine blade rotation (i.e., curtail turbines) when fatalities are expected to be highest. Implementation of curtailment can potentially be optimized by targeting times when females are most at risk, as the proportion of females limits the growth and stability of many bat populations. The Brazilian free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis) is the most common bat fatality at wind energy facilities in California and Texas, and yet there are few available data on the sex ratios of the carcasses that are found. Understanding the sex ratios of fatalities in California and Texas could aid in planning population conservation strategies such as informed curtailment. Methods We used PCR to determine the sex of bat carcasses collected from wind energy facilities during post-construction monitoring (PCM) studies in California and Texas. In California, we received samples from two locations within the Altamont Pass Wind Resource Area in Alameda County: Golden Hills (GH) (n = 212) and Golden Hills North (GHN) (n = 312). In Texas, we received samples from three wind energy facilities: Los Mirasoles (LM) (Hidalgo County and Starr County) (n = 252), Los Vientos (LV) (Starr County) (n = 568), and Wind Farm A (WFA) (San Patricio County and Bee County) (n = 393). Results In California, the sex ratios of fatalities did not differ from 50:50, and the sex ratio remained stable over the survey years, but the seasonal timing of peak fatalities was inconsistent. In 2017 and 2018, fatalities peaked between September and October, whereas in 2019 and 2020 fatalities peaked between May and June. In Texas, sex ratios of fatalities varied between locations, with Los Vientos being female-skewed and Wind Farm A being male-skewed. The sex ratio of fatalities was also inconsistent over time. Lastly, for each location in Texas with multiple years studied, we observed a decrease in the proportion of female fatalities over time. Discussion We observed unexpected variation in the seasonal timing of peak fatalities in California and differences in the sex ratio of fatalities across time and facility location in Texas. In Texas, proximity to different roost types (bridge or cave) likely influenced the sex ratio of fatalities at wind energy facilities. Due to the inconsistencies in the timing of peak female fatalities, we were unable to determine an optimum curtailment period; however, there may be location-specific trends that warrant future investigation. More research should be done over the entirety of the bat active season to better understand these trends in Texas. In addition, standardization of PCM studies could assist future research efforts, enhance current monitoring efforts, and facilitate research on post-construction monitoring studies.

Low foraging rates drive large insectivorous bats away from urban areas

AbstractUrbanization has significant impacts on wildlife and ecosystems and acts as an environmental filter excluding certain species from local ecological communities. Specifically, it may be challenging for some animals to find enough food in urban environments to achieve a positive energy balance. Because urban environments favor small‐sized bats with low energy requirements, we hypothesized that common noctules (Nyctalus noctula) acquire food at a slower rate and rely less on conspecifics to find prey in urban than in rural environments due to a low food abundance and predictable distribution of insects in urban environments. To address this, we estimated prey sizes and measured prey capture rates, foraging efforts, and the presence of conspecifics during hunting of 22 common noctule bats equipped with sensor loggers in an urban and rural environment. Even though common noctule bats hunted similar‐sized prey in both environments, urban bats captured prey at a lower rate (mean: 2.4 vs. 6.3 prey attacks/min), and a lower total amount of prey (mean: 179 vs. 377 prey attacks/foraging bout) than conspecifics from rural environments. Consequently, the energy expended to capture prey was higher for common noctules in urban than in rural environments. In line with our prediction, urban bats relied less on group hunting, likely because group hunting was unnecessary in an environment where the spatial distribution of prey insects is predictable, for example, in parks or around floodlights. While acknowledging the limitations of a small sample size and low number of spatial replicates, our study suggests that scarce food resources may make urban habitats unfavorable for large bat species with higher energy requirements compared to smaller bat species. In conclusion, a lower food intake may displace larger species from urban areas making habitats with high insect biomass production key for protecting large bat species in urban environments.

A metatranscriptomic evaluation of viruses in field-collected bed bugs.

Cimex lectularius, known as the common bed bug, is a widespread hematophagous human ectoparasite and urban pest that is not known to be a vector of any human infectious disease agents. However, few studies in the era of molecular biology have profiled the microorganisms harbored by field populations of bed bugs. The objective of this study was to examine the viruses present in a large sampling of common bed bugs and related bat bugs (Cimex pipistrelle). RNA sequencing was undertaken on an international sampling of > 500 field-collected bugs, and multiple workflows were used to assemble contigs and query these against reference nucleotide databases to identify viral genomes. Shuangao bed bug virus 2, an uncharacterized rhabdovirus previously discovered in Cimex hemipterus from China, was found in several bed bug pools from the USA and Europe, as well as in C. pipistrelle, suggesting that this virus is common among bed bug populations. In addition, Shuangao bed bug virus 1 was detected in a bed bug pool from China, and sequences matching Enterobacteria phage P7 were found in all bed bug pools, indicating the ubiquitous presence of phage-derived elements in the genome of the bed bug or its enterobacterial symbiont. However, viral diversity was low in bed bugs in our study, as no other viral genomes were detected with significant coverage. These results provide evidence against frequent virus infection in bed bugs. Nonetheless, our investigation had several important limitations, and additional studies should be conducted to better understand the prevalence and composition of viruses in bed bugs. Most notably, our study largely focused on insects from urban areas in industrialized nations, thus likely missing infrequent virus infections and those that could occur in rural or tropical environments or developing nations.

Ectoparasites (Diptera: Streblidae and Nycteribiidae) of bats from some localities of the Coast of Ecuador

In Ecuador, studies of parasitic bat flies are scarce and biased towards the family Streblidae: reports indicate the existence of 50 species, five of them on the western lowlands. In this study, in addition to Streblidae, we include information of the family Nycteribiidae that has not been studied in Ecuador. Both families are associated with bats in several localities of the western lowlands of the country. We used samples from the associated collection of parasites of the Mammalogy Section of the Museo de Zoología at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador (QCAZ-M), as well as the database of the collection that allowed obtaining information on the host taxa. Thus, 145 individuals of bats of 22 species of the families Phyllostomidae and Vespertilionidae and 424 individuals of 29 species of parasitic flies are reported. Of these, five species are new in Ecuador, 19 are confirmed records in the west and the geographic distribution was extended for species previously reported in this region. Trichobius joblingi was the most abundant parasitic fly species and together with Speiseria ambigua were associated with the greatest number of bat species. Species of the genus Carollia were the most abundant and harbored the greatest diversity of flies. The study constitutes the first extensive review of Diptera (Streblidae and Nycteribiidae) in the area and, therefore, contributes to expanding the knowledge of the diversity of ectoparasites of bats in Ecuador.

Prevalence and public health significance of rabies virus in bats in the North Region of Cameroon.

Rabies is a zoonotic disease of all warm-blooded animals including humans. There is a paucity of data on the status of rabies in wild animals in Cameroon and the disease is endemic in the country with dogs being the main source of transmission. Bat habitats are widespread in Cameroon, but there is limited information on the prevalence of rabies in bats, and their role of as potential reservoirs of rabies virus. A cross sectional study was carried out to estimate the prevalence and to assess risk factors of rabies virus in bats in the North Region of Cameroon. A total of 212 bats belonging to three families (Pteropodidae, Vespertilionidae and Molossidae) and 5 species were sampled in 7 localities in the North Region of Cameroon and were tested for rabies virus antigen using direct Immunofluorescence Test (IFA). Overall, 26.9% (57/212) of the bats collected showed an IFA positive reaction. The prevalence was significantly higher (P<0.05) in adult bats (33.3% (36/108)) compared to young individuals (20.2%; 21/104). The main risk factors identified in the study for human exposure to bats were gender (Male), religion (Christianity), localities (Babla and Lagdo), the practice of bat hunting, bat consumption, unawareness of bat rabies and cohabitation with bats in close proximity. The study revealed the first evidence of Lyssavirus in bats in Cameroon. This finding showed that bat rabies are real and represents a potential public health concern in communities with bat habitats in the North Region of Cameroon. Enhancing the level of public awareness and health education on the potential of bats as reservoirs of Lyssavirus in Cameroon as well as the integration of the "One Health" approach for effective management of animal and human rabies should be emphasized.

Virome characterization and identification of a putative parvovirus and poxvirus in bat ectoparasites of Yunnan Province, China

Ectoparasites found on bats are known to contain important microbes. However, the viruses hosted by these obligate parasites are understudied. This has led to the near oversight of the potential role of these ectoparasites in virus maintenance and transmission from bats to other interacting species and the environment. Here, we sampled bat ectoparasites parasitizing a diverse selection of bat species in the families Rhinolophidae, Vespertilionidae, Megadermatidae, Hipposideridae and Pteropodidae in Yunnan Province, China. We show that the ectoparasite prevalence was generally higher in male compared to female bats. Most ectoparasites were found to fall within the Nycteribiidae, Spinturnicidae and Streblidae bat ectoparasite families. We subsequently applied a non-biased sequencing of libraries prepared from the pooled ectoparasites, followed by an in-silico virus-centric analysis of the resultant reads. We show that ectoparasites hosted by the sampled families of bats are found to carry, in addition to a diverse set of phages, vertebrate and insect viruses in the families Aliusviridae, Ascoviridae, Chuviridae, Circoviridae, Flaviviridae, Hepadnaviridae, Hepeviridae, Herpesviridae, Iridoviridae, Marseilleviridae, Nairoviridae, Orthomyxoviridae, Parvoviridae, Poxviridae, Reoviridae, Retroviridae, and Rhabdoviridae. We further report a partial Parvovirus VP1/VP2 gene and partial Poxvirus ubiquitin-like gene predicted by two independent next generation sequencing data analysis pipelines. This study describes the natural virome of bat ectoparasites, providing a platform for understanding the role these ectoparasites play in the maintenance and spread of viruses to other animals.

Main causes of death of free-ranging bats in Turin province (North-Western Italy): gross and histological findings and emergent virus surveillance

BackgroundBats are recognized as reservoir species for multiple viruses. However, little is known on bats’ health and mortality. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the main causes of death of bats from Turin province (North-western Italy) and to describe gross and histopathological lesions potentially associated with the presence of selected bat viruses.ResultsA total of 71 bats belonging to 9 different species of the families Vespertilionidae and Molossidae were necropsied and samples of the main organs were submitted to histopathological examination. Also, aliquots of the small intestine, liver, spleen, lung, and brain were collected and submitted to biomolecular investigation for the identification of Coronaviridae, Poxviridae, Reoviridae (Mammalian orthoreovirus species), Rhabdoviridae (Vaprio ledantevirus and Lyssavirus species) and Kobuvirus. The majority of bats died from traumatic lesions due to unknown trauma or predation (n = 40/71, 56.3%), followed by emaciation (n = 13/71,18.3%). The main observed gross lesions were patagium and skin lesions (n = 23/71, 32.4%), forelimbs fractures (n = 15/71, 21.1%) and gastric distension (n = 10/71,14.1%). Histologically, the main lesions consisted of lymphoplasmacytic pneumonia (n = 24/71, 33.8%), skin/patagium dermatitis (n = 23/71, 32.4%), liver steatosis and hepatitis (n = 12, 16.9%), and white pulp depletion in the spleen (n = 7/71, 9.8%). Regarding emergent bat viruses, only poxvirus (n = 2, 2.8%) and orthoreovirus (n = 12/71, 16.9%) were detected in a low percentage of bats.ConclusionsTrauma is the main lesion observed in bats collected in Turin province (North-western Italy) associated with forelimb fractures and the detected viral positivity rate seems to suggest that they did not represent a threat for human health.

Release of UPR‐Mp‐37 and UPR‐Mp‐48 white common bean germplasm with improved resistance to ashy stem blight

AbstractWhite common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) breeding lines (BL) UPR‐Mp‐37 (Reg. no. GP‐315, PI 703030), and UPR‐Mp‐48 (Reg. no. GP‐316, PI 703031) with improved resistance to ashy stem blight [caused by Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goidanich] were developed at the University of Puerto Rico. Both these BL had lower severity (mean scores of 4.1–4.7) to PRI21 M. phaseolina isolate compared with white common bean genotypes ‘Bella’, ‘Beníquez’, NY6020‐4, and ‘Verano’ that had a susceptible response (scores &gt;7.0). UPR‐Mp‐37 was selected from the cross NY6020‐4/A 195//SEA 5 while UPR‐Mp‐48 was derived from the common bean population BAT 477/NY6020‐4//PRA154. UPR‐Mp‐37 has an indeterminate growth habit type III, initiates flowering at 30 days after planting, reaches harvesting maturity at 89 days, and has an average weight of 27.4 g per 100 seed. UPR‐Mp‐48 has a determinate growth habit type I, initiates flowering and matures at 33 and 85 days after planting, respectively, and has an average weight of 29.6 g per 100 seed. Both BL had over 800 kg ha−1 seed yields in Isabela, Puerto Rico. The resistance of UPR‐Mp‐37 and UPR‐Mp‐48 BL can be introgressed into susceptible white beans to reduce the disease severity.