Substantial Neotropical bat diversity likely remains undescribed and vulnerable to extinction.

Integrating delimitation, phylogenetics, niche models, and spatial analyses identifies 95 Neotropical bat lineages in 45 complexes, implying at least one-fifth of recognized taxa hide diversity.

• Why it matters: Many undescribed species may go extinct before being described, and accelerating Neotropical habitat loss threatens unrecognized bat lineages with silent extinction.
• What they did: The study combines molecular species delimitation with phylogenetic inference, ecological niche modelling, and spatial conservation analyses, then builds a Hidden Species Richness (HSR) Index.
• The result: It finds 62% of complexes face imminent habitat loss, most are projected to lose over 50% of suitable habitat by 2070, and ten HSR hotspots align hidden richness with major threats.

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