South Dakota Bat Working Group
Last update 19 February 2025



Several species of bat are found in South Dakota

Our thirteen species of bats are small, insectivorous, and have voracious appetites. They feed upon moths, beetles, and other night flying insects, consuming up to half their body weight in insects each night. While larger bat species tend to prefer larger insect prey, and some of bats are beetle specialists, their menu always depends on which insects are available, on a particular night, at a particular time of the year. What is true in an urban area is likely to be different for rural areas. However, a great abundance of any type of insect can result in quick and easy meals with a minimum of effort. This can be very important if you are a lactating bat (generating milk for a pup) or a young bat trying to put on enough weight to survive your first winter. 

Bats are effective at controlling insect pests, whether it is over farmland or in your backyard. For example, we documented that one bat returned to its roost after feeding on insects for two hours - its body weight had increased 45% Such is not uncommon and nursing females may go out several times a night. Predictably, bat roosts are often found in close proximity to specific habitat types or water sources where insects breed. This shortens the distance that mothers need to fly while nursing a pup that is not yet able to fly.

The effectiveness of bats at controlling mosquito populations depends upon who you ask. At a large maternity roost of Myotis lucifugus (Little Brown Bat) near Buffalo, SD, the property owners swore they had not seen any mosquitoes while surrounding ranchers (who did not have nearby roosts) complained of it being a bad year for mosquitoes. That being said, there are larger, more nutritious, and more easily caught insects flying around and the "bang-for-the-buck" approach would suggest that bats should go after high-value prey, rather than the probably more abundant mosquitos.


Red bat (Lasiurus borealis) - Migratory, common
This is a solitary tree-roosting bat that is found throughout
the State during its yearly migration.
Photo: Nels Troelstrup (left), DB Yolton (right)


Hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus) - Migratory, common
This is a solitary tree-roosting bat that is found throughout
the State during its yearly migration.
Photo: R Barsh (left), J Martinez-Fonseca (right)


Silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans)
- Migratory, species of concern in SD
This is a tree-roosting bat that is found throughout the State
during its yearly migration.
Photo: J Butler


Northern Long-eared bat (Myotis (keeni) septentrionalis)
- Threatened nationally due to COVID
Photo: S Altenbach (left), Brandon Bales (right)


Little Brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) - Common in urbans areas
This commensal species is often found in buildings and
considered one of your neighborhood bats throughout the State.
Photo: J MacGregor


Fringe tailed bat (Myotis ciliolabrum) - Species of concern in SD
Previous name: Myotis leibii
Photo J MacGregor


Fringe tailed bat (Myotis thysanodes)
- Species of 'special concern' in SD
Found in caves/abandoned mine and tree snags throughout
the Black Hills region.
Photo: T Kingston lab


Long-eared Myotis (Myotis evotis)
- Species of concern in SD and nationally
Found throughout the Black Hills region.
Photo: Joel Tigner


Long-legged Myotis (Myotis volans)
Photo: I Ekblom


Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus) - Common in urban areas
This commensal species is often found in buildings and
considered one of your neighborhood bats throughout the State.
Photo: J MacGregor


Townsends Long-eared Bat (Corynorhinus townsendii)
Previous name: Plecotus townsendii
Roosts in caves/abandoned mines throughout the Black Hills region.
This is a species of 'special concern' because of its vulnerability to disturbance.
Photos: Mike Roedel (left), C Brown (right)


Evening bat (Nycticeius humeralis) - little is known about this bat
Found in the Sioux City area in southeastern SD by Brandon Bales and Jeff Lane.
Photo: Brandon Bales (left) C Wade (right)


Tri-colored bat (Perimyotis subflavus).
Previously: Eastern Pipistrelle (Pipstrellus subflavus)
Found in Black Hills region.
Photo: P Pattavina





Specific data on the bats that are found in South Dakota
- ASM: American Society of Mammalogists
- WBG: Western States Bat Working Group
Common name Scientific name (explanations here) ASM WBG East
river		 Red bat Lasiurus borealis borealis (Muller, 1776 ) pdf   Yes Yes
Hoary bat Lasiurus cinereus cinereus (Palisot de Beauvios, 1796) pdf pdf Yes Yes
Silver-haired bat Lasionycteris noctivagans (Le Conte, 1831) pdf pdf Yes Yes
           
Northern long-eared Myotis Myotis (keeni) septentrionalis (van Zyll de Jong, 1979) pdf pdf Yes Yes
Little brown Myotis Myotis lucifugus carissima (Thomas 1904) pdf pdf (Yes) Yes
  Myotis lucifugus lucifugus (le Conte 1831) pdf pdf Yes (Yes)
Western small-footed bat Myotis (leibii) ciliolabrum (van Zyll de Jong, 1984) pdf pdf Yes Yes
Black Hills Fringed Myotis Myotis thysanodes pahasapensis(Jones and Genoways, 1967) pdf pdf   Yes
Western long-eared Myotis Myotis evotis evotis (Allen, 1864) pdf pdf   Yes
Long-legged Myotis Myotis volans interior (Miller, 1914) pdf pdf   Yes
Big brown bat Eptesicus fuscus pallidus (Young 1908) pdf pdf (Yes) Yes
  Eptesicus fuscus fuscus (Palisot de Beauvois, 1796) pdf pdf Yes (Yes)
Townsend's big-eared bat Corynorhinus townsendii pallescens (Tumlison and Douglas, 1992) pdf pdf   Yes
Evening bat Nycticeius humeralis humeralis (Rafinesque 1819) pdf   Yes  
Tricolored bat Perimyotis (Pipistrellus) subflavus subflavus (Cuvier 1832) pdf   Yes Yes
           
  Possibly found in South Dakota        
Indiana bat Myotis sodalis (Miller and Allen 1928)        
Mexican Free-tailed bat Tadarida brasiliensis mexicana (Saint-Hilaire 1824)        
Pallid bat Antrozous pallidus pallidus (Allen 1862)        
Spotted bat Euderma maculatum (Allen 1891)        




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