{{Short description|Species of bat}} {{Speciesbox | name = Cuban yellow bat | status = VU | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name="IUCN">{{cite journal|last1=Mancina| first1= C.| year= 2016| title= Lasiurus insularis| journal= The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species| volume= 2016| page= e.T136754A22036556| doi= 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T136754A22036556.en}}</ref>] | genus = Lasiurus | species = insularis | authority = (Hall & Jones, 1961) }}
The '''Cuban yellow bat''' ('''''Lasiurus insularis''''') is a species of bat from the family Vespertilioninae. It was previously included as a subspecies of the northern yellow bat, a species that has a similar ecology and biology.<ref name="IUCN"/> The species is endemic to Cuba, specifically the Las Villas Province in Cienfuegos,<ref name="MSW3">{{MSW3 Chiroptera | id = 13801910 | page = 460}}</ref> and it is listed under the IUCN Red List as vulnerable due to its ongoing population reduction and relatively small geographic range.<ref name="IUCN"/>
==Taxonomy== The Cuban yellow bat was described as a new species in 1961 by E. R. Hall and J. K. Jones. They determined it was a subspecies of the northern yellow bat and gave it a trinomen of ''Lasiurus intermedius insularis'', while expressing belief that it might actually be a full species.<ref>{{cite mdd|id=1005583| title=Lasiurus insularis| access-date= 12 January 2026}}</ref> The holotype had been collected in 1948 in Cienfuegos, Cuba by D. Gonzáles Muñoz.<ref name="Hall">{{cite journal|last1=Hall| first1= E.R.| last2=Jones Jr.| first2= J.K.| year= 1961| title= North American yellow bats, "Dasypterus, " and a list of the named kinds of the genus Lasiurus Gray|journal= University of Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural History| volume= 14| issue=5| pages=85–89| url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/4397084}}</ref>
A 1976 publication suggested that the Cuban yellow bat should be considered a full species, which was corroborated by a genetic study in 1995 that found it was distinct from other yellow bats.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Morales |first1=Juan Carlos |last2=Bickham |first2=John W. |title=Molecular Systematics of the Genus Lasiurus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) Based on Restriction-Site Maps of the Mitochondrial Ribosomal Genes |journal=Journal of Mammalogy |date=1995 |volume=76 |issue=3 |pages=730–749 |doi=10.2307/1382744 |jstor=1382744 }}</ref> Within ''Lasiurus'', it is part of the subgenus ''Dasypterus''.<ref>{{MSW3| id=13801910|heading = ''Lasiurus (Dasypterus) insularis'' }}</ref>
==Description== It is the largest vesper bat in Cuba, with individuals weighing {{cvt|20-30|g|oz}}; its forearm length is {{cvt|57-64|mm|in}}. It is covered in long, dense yellow fur.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.proyectocubabat.com/uploads/1/0/6/2/10624406/lasiurus_insularis_cuban_yellow_bat.pdf|title=Lasiurus insularis|website=Proyecto Cubabat|access-date=12 January 2026}}</ref>
==Biology and ecology== Its predators include owls, as a Cuban yellow bat skull was once found in an owl pellet.<ref name="Hall"/> During the day it roosts in the foliage of fan-leaved palms such those in the genus ''Thrinax''.<ref>{{cite journal | last1=Mancina | first1=C. | last2=Echenique-Diaz | first2=L. | last3=Tejedor | first3=A. | last4=García | first4=L. | last5=Daniel-Alvarez | first5=A. | last6=Ortega-Huerta | first6=M. | year=2007 | title=Endemics under threat: an assessment of the conservation status of Cuban bats | journal=Hystrix, the Italian Journal of Mammalogy | volume=18 | issue=1 }}</ref> It is insectivorous, feeding on beetles, flies, and true bugs.<ref name="IUCN"/>
==Range and habitat== The Cuban yellow bat is endemic to Cuba, where it has a patchy distribution and has been rarely documented. It is associated with forest habitat.<ref name="IUCN"/>
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{Vespertilionidae|V.|L.}} {{Taxonbar|from=Q3727751}}
Category:Lasiurus Category:Bats of the Caribbean Category:Endemic fauna of Cuba Category:Mammals of Cuba Category:Mammals described in 1961