Hidden in our pockets: building of a DNA barcode library unveils the first record of Myotis alcathoe for Portugal

The advent and boom of DNA barcoding technologies have provided a powerful tool for the fields of ecology and systematics. Here, we present the InBIO Barcoding Initiative Database: Portuguese Bats (Chiroptera) dataset containing DNA sequences of 63 specimens of the acknowledged 25 bat species for continental Portugal. For that, we sequenced tissues samples obtained in a vast array of projects spanning the last two decades. We added 4 new BINs to existing Chiroptera barcodes, two belonging to Myotis escalerai, one to Plecotus auritus and the other to Rhinolophus hipposideros. Surprisingly, one of the samples initially identified in the field as Myotis mystacinus turned to be Myotis alcathoe thus constituting the first record of this species for Portugal. The presence of Nyctalus noctula in Portugal was also genetically confirmed for the first time. This case study shows the power and value of DNA barcoding initiatives to unravel new data that may be hidden on museum and private collections.