Caribbean Journal of Science (2021), 51: pp. 101–103. © Copyright 2021 by the College of Arts and Sciences of the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez 101 The Yucatan Yellow Bat (Vespertilionidae, Rhogeessa aeneus): a New Record for Banco Chinchorro Atoll, Mexico Pierre Charruau 1,* , DaviD MaCías Díaz 2,3 , axel rissaC 4 , anD roDrigo garCía-Morales 1 1 Centro del Cambio Global y la Sustentabilidad A.C., Villahermosa, Tabasco, México 2 Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas, Reserva de la Biosfera Banco Chinchorro, Quintana Roo, México 3 Grupo de Ecología y Conservación de Islas, A.C., Ensenada, Baja California, México 4 Université de la Réunion, La Réunion, France *Corresponding author: charruau_pierre@yahoo.fr AbstrAct—The Yucatan yellow bat (Rhogeessa aeneus) is a poorly known species endemic to the Yu- catan Peninsula, mainly distributed in tropical forests of the three Mexican states of Campeche, Quintana Roo, and Yucatan. Here, we report the frst record of this species in Cayo Centro, the main cay of Banco Chinchorro atoll, located in southern Quintana Roo, Mexico, 47 km from the mainland in the Caribbean Sea. On May 2021, we captured three individuals of R. aeneus on Cayo Centro in a low coastal forest con- sisting mostly of Bursera simaruba. This is the second species of bat reported for the atoll, and more studies are needed to further the investigation on the species diversity and status of the populations there. Banco Chinchorro atoll is located in the Caribbe- an Sea in the south of Quintana Roo state, Mexico, at approximately 30 km from the mainland (Instituto Na- cional de Ecología 2000). It is a Biosphere Reserve and a RAMSAR site that represents an important center of biodiversity as well as relevance for migratory birds (Instituto Nacional de Ecología 2000; Mackinnon H. and Acosta Aburto 2003). Scientifc research and eco- nomic activities (e.g. fshing, tourism) are mainly con- ducted in the reef lagoon and adjacent ocean water of the atoll, mostly focused on the aquatic ecosystems and their diversity and resources. In contrast, the different small islands present in the reserve receive much less attention. Bats in particular have not been studied yet in the area, although they are occasionally observed in the larger cay (Cayo Centro) of the atoll. Although one species has previously been reported for the reserve, no information about the context of this register is avail- able (Cepeda-González et al. 2009). The frst mention of bats on the atoll is found in the management pro- gram of the reserve, where it is mentioned that an in- dividual was observed on Cayo Centro, but no species name is given (Instituto Nacional de Ecología 2000). Then, a publication from 2009 mentions the presence of the hairy-legged myotis bat (Vespertilionidae, Myo- tis keaysi J. A. Allen, 1914) on Banco Chinchorro, but without giving a reference to a specifc work to obtain more information about this record (Cepeda-González et al. 2009). Subsequent publications that mention bats on Banco Chinchorro refer to the Cepeda-González et al. (2009) publication, namely Rodriguez Malagón et al. (2011) and Subconsejo de Bioseguridad Insular de la Reserva de la Biosfera Banco Chinchorro (2018). The objective of this study was then to make a frst bat pro- spective sampling on Cayo Centro to obtain informa- tion on the species present at Banco Chinchorro. Banco Chinchorro Biosphere Reserve covers 144,360 ha including extensive coral reefs, reef la- goons, adjacent oceanic waters, and four islands or cays (Instituto Nacional de Ecología 2000). Cayo Centro, by far the largest cay (541 ha), is located at the center of the reef lagoon, 47 km from the nearest point on the mainland. This cay presents four types of halophyte or coastal dune vegetation (pioneer vegetation, coast- al bush with Pihtecellobium keyense Britton ex Coker (Fabaceae), low coastal forest with Bursera simaruba (L.) Sarg. (Burseraceae), and secondary vegetation), and four types of mangrove including Rhizophora mangle L. (Rhizophoraceae), Avicennia germinans (L.) L. (Acanthaceae), Conocarpus erectus L. (Combreta- ceae), and Laguncularia racemosa (L.) C.F. Gaertn. (Combretaceae) (Instituto Nacional de Ecología 2000). The climate of the atoll is warm subhumid, with rains during summer and winter (Instituto Nacional de Ecología 2000). We sampled for bats on four nights during May, 2021; one at the feld station of the Comissión Nacion- al de Areas Naturales Protegidas (CONANP; WGS84, 4º12’50.18’’N, 89º39’13.07’’W); one near the station on the shore of the largest interior lagoon (Chandes La- goon) at the edge of vegetation (Conocarpus erectus; WGS84, 4º12’49’’N, 89º39’13.14’’W); and two at the