Overview

• The bat was recorded in March at Hmuifang village in Aizawl district during a systematic survey of Mizoram’s bat fauna.
• A previously collected specimen from Sairep in Lunglei district, preserved at ZSI Kolkata, was re-examined and attributed to the same species.
• Researchers Uttam Saikia, Gabor Csorba, Manuel Ruedi, and Rohit Chakravarty verified the find through morphometrics, DNA analysis, and comparisons with international museum specimens.
• Harpiola isodon was first described in Taiwan in 2006 and has been reported from southern China and Vietnam, with the species associated with mountain forests.
• The discovery raises India’s confirmed bat species count to 136, with ZSI calling for expanded, targeted surveys in the biodiversity-rich Northeast.