Moscas de murciélagos en algunas localidades de la costa peruana / Bat flies in some localities of the Peruvian coast

Resumen En el Perú se registran al menos 180 especies de murciélagos. Sin embargo, son pocos los estudios acerca de sus ectoparásitos, dentro de los cuales destacan las denominadas moscas de murciélagos (Diptera: Streblidae y Nycteribiidae), en los cuales se estima un total de 158 especies en la región Neotropical. En el Perú, una de las regiones con menos información es la costa. En este estudio actualizamos el conocimiento de las asociaciones ectoparásito-hospedero en murciélagos de la costa peruana, una de las regiones ecologicas con más degradación y pérdida de hábitat. Se evaluaron cinco localidades en las regiones de Piura, Lima y Tacna. Se capturaron 85 murciélagos pertenecientes a 7 especies; 4 de Phyllostomidae, 2 de Molossidae y 1 de Vespertilionidae. Se encontraron seis especies de dípteros (Diptera: Streblidae) y un hemíptero (Hemiptera: Polyctenidae) y se reporta por primera vez algunas de estas asociaciones en las regiones de Lima y Piura. Se reporta también a Anoura peruana como hospedero de Anastrebla modestini (Streblidae) en una colonia reproductiva compartida con Platalina genovensium, y por primera vez para la región de Piura, el co-parasitismo de los estréblidos Megistopoda aranea, Aspidoptera phyllostomatis y Metelasmus pseudopterus en un mismo individuo de Artibeus fraterculus.

Abstract There are at least 180 species of bats in Peru. However, there are few studies about ectoparasites of bats, among which the so-called bat flies (Diptera: Streblidae and Nycteribiidae) stand out, with a total of 158 species estimated for the Neotropical region. In Peru, one of the ecological regions with the least information is the coast. In this study we updated the knowledge of the ectoparasite-host associations in bats from the Peruvian coast, one of the regions of the country with the most degradation and loss of habitat. Five locations in the Piura, Lima and Tacna regions were evaluated. 85 bats belonging to 7 species were captured: 4 from Phyllostomidae, 2 from Molossidae and 1 from Vespertilionidae. Six dipterous species (Diptera: Streblidae) and one Hemiptera species (Hemiptera: Polyctenidae) were found and some of these associations are reported for the first time in the Lima and Piura regions. Anoura peruana is also reported as the host of Anastrebla modestini (Streblidae) in a reproductive colony shared with Platalina genovensium, and for the first time for the Piura region, the co-parasitism of the Megistopoda aranea, Aspidoptera phyllostomatis and Metelasmus pseudopterus in a same individual of Artibeus fraterculus.

Trichobius longipes (Diptera, Streblidae) as a parasite of Phyllostomus hastatus (Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae) / Trichobius longipes (Diptera, Streblidae) como parasita de Phyllostomus hastatus (Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae)

Among the factors that influence the diversity of ectoparasites on bat hosts are the kind of roost and the host's social behavior. Other factors such as sex, reproductive condition and host size may influence the distribution and abundance of ectoparasites. The aim of the present study was to analyze the variation in Streblidae ectoparasites on the bat Phyllostomus hastatus, according to sex and roost type. We caught bats in four houses on Marambaia Island, municipality of Mangaratiba, and in one house at the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, municipality of Seropédica. We caught 65 females and 50 males of P. hastatus and 664 streblids of four species: Aspidoptera phyllostomatis, Strebla consocia, Trichobius “dugesii” complex and Trichobius longipes. The species T. longipes accounted for more than 99% of all the ectoparasites caught. Female bats were more parasitized than males, in terms of both prevalence and average intensity. The total number of parasites did not vary between resident and non-resident bats. The relationship between the number of individuals of T. longipes and sex and roost type was significant for resident bats. The total number of parasites on males did not differ between bachelor roosts and mixed-sex roosts. The differences found between roosts reflected the differences between the sexes.

Os fatores que influenciam a diversidade de artrópodes ectoparasitos no morcego hospedeiro incluem o tipo de abrigo e o comportamento social da espécie hospedeira. Aspectos como sexo, condição reprodutiva e tamanho do hospedeiro podem influenciar a distribuição e a abundância dos ectoparasitos. Este trabalho teve como objetivo analisar a variação no parasitismo de estreblídeos em Phyllostomus hastatus, considerando os sexos e diferentes abrigos. Os morcegos foram capturados em quatro casas na Ilha da Marambaia, município de Mangaratiba, e em uma casa na Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, município de Seropédica. Foram capturados 65 fêmeas e 50 machos de P. hastatus e 664 dípteros estreblídeos distribuídos em quatro espécies: Aspidoptera phyllostomatis, Strebla consocia, Trichobius complexo “dugesii” e Trichobius longipes. A espécie T. longipes representou mais de 99% das capturas de Streblidae. Fêmeas de morcegos foram mais parasitadas que os machos, tanto em prevalência quanto em intensidade média. O total de parasitos não variou entre os morcegos residentes e os não residentes. O modelo considerado entre o total de T. longipes, o sexo e o abrigo para indivíduos residentes mostrou-se significativo. O total de parasitos em machos não difere entre aqueles oriundos de abrigos de machos solteiros e de abrigos heterossexuais. As diferenças entre os abrigos refletem a diferença no parasitismo entre os sexos dos hospedeiros.

Bat flies (Diptera: Streblidae) ectoparasites of bats at an Atlantic Rainforest site in northeastern Brazil

Bat flies were surveyed between March, 2007 and February, 2008, in the Carnijó Private Natural Heritage Reserve (08° 07′ S and 35° 05′ W), an area of Atlantic Rainforest in the municipality of Moreno, in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco. Bats were captured biweekly using mist nets set during six hours each night. The ectoparasites were collected with tweezers and/or a brush wet in ethanol and stored in 70% ethanol. The specimens are deposited in the zoological reference collection of the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul. Sixteen species of streblid bat flies were collected from 10 bat species of the family Phyllostomidae. Thirteen of the these streblid species were recorded for the first time in Pernambuco.

O presente estudo ocorreu entre Março de 2007 e Fevereiro de 2008 na Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural Carnijó (08° 07′ S e 35° 05′ W), área de Mata Atlântica, localizada no município de Moreno, Pernambuco, Brasil. Os morcegos foram capturados quinzenalmente com redes de neblina por um intervalo de seis horas por noite. A coleta dos ectoparasitos foi realizada com auxílio de pinça e/ou um pincel umedecido com álcool, sendo mantidos em etanol 70%. Os espécimens estão depositados na Coleção Zoológica de Referência da Fundação Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul. Dezesseis espécies de moscas estreblídeas foram capturadas sobre 10 espécies de morcegos da família Phyllostomidae. Treze espécies de estreblídeas encontradas no presente trabalho foram registradas pela primeira vez para o estado de Pernambuco.

Ectoparasitic insects (Diptera: Streblidae and Siphonaptera: Ischnopsyllidae) of bats from Iquitos and surrounding areas (Loreto, Peru)

Based on specimens collected from bats of different families, we add new species and extend the known ecological distribution and host associations of insect ectoparasites of bats in Peru. New information is provided for the distribution of 26 species of parasites (25 Diptera and 1 Siphonaptera: Ischnopsyllidae). Four species (Neotrichobius ectophyllae, Strebla galindoi, Strebla paramirabilis and Myodopsylla wolffsohni wolffsohni) are new for Peru and 16 represent new records for the department of Loreto. Also, we found 17 new host-ectoparasite relationships. Of note, we found remarkable new association between Neotrichobius delicatus and bat species from the families Molossidae and Noctilionidae and a novel association between Paradyschiria parvula and a species of Vespertilionidae. Host-ectoparasite specificity was recorded with 14 species as monoxenous, three oligoxenous, seven pleioxenous and two polyxenous.

Bat flies on phyllostomid hosts in the Cerrado region: component community, prevalence and intensity of parasitism

Streblidae flies are specialised parasites of bat hosts, mainly phyllostomids. There is a high richness of streblids in the savannah-like Cerrado region; however, there is little quantitative data available in parasitological indices. Here, we describe the component community, prevalence and intensity of a streblid infestation on a phyllostomid bat assemblage in Serra da Bodoquena, a Cerrado region in Southwest Brazil. We conducted surveys by capturing and inspecting bat hosts during the seven-month period between October 2004-December 2005. All the ectoparasites found on the bats were collected in the field and then counted and identified in the laboratory. We captured 327 bats belonging to 13 species, of which eight species were parasitized by 17 species of streblids. Carollia perspicillata and Glossophaga soricina were infested with seven streblid species, whereas the other bat species were infested with four or fewer streblid species. Megistopoda proxima and Aspidoptera falcata flies were found on Sturnira lilium, and Trichobius joblingi was the most prevalent fly on C. perspicillata. Megistopoda aranea and Aspidoptera phyllostomatis were highly prevalent and had a high intensity of infestation on Artibeus planirostris. Overall comparisons of the available data suggest that the component communities of streblids vary more between the Cerrado and Atlantic Forest phytogeographical regions than between localities within the same phytogeographical region.

Espécies de moscas ectoparasitas (Diptera, Hippoboscoidea) de morcegos (Mammalia, Chiroptera) no estado do Maranhão / Parasitic flies (Diptera, Hippoboscoidea) on bats (Mammalia, Chiroptera) in Maranhão state

Espécies de moscas ectoparasitas (Diptera, Hippoboscoidea) de morcegos (Mammalia, Chiroptera) no estado do Maranhão. Esta lista preliminar de espécies de moscas ectoparasitas de morcegos é o primeiro estudo com esse grupo no Estado do Maranhão. O levantamento foi realizado em sete localidades nos municípios Bacabeira, São Luis, Santa Inês e Tufilândia. Os morcegos foram capturados em redes de neblina e os parasitas retirados destes com pinças. No total foram capturadas 559 moscas pertencentes a 25 espécies (11 gêneros), sendo 22 espécies da família Streblidae e duas da Nycteribiidae. Trichobius joblingi Wenzel, 1966 foi a espécie mais freqüente, representando 28.7 por cento dos indivíduos coletados. As moscas encontravam-se infestando 118 morcegos pertencentes a 22 espécies, 13 gêneros e 4 famílias. Este estudo registrou uma alta riqueza de espécies de moscas e de morcegos no estado, evidenciando a importancia da região para estudos em biodiversidade, bem como aspectos relacionados à relação parasito-hospedeiro.

This list of species is the first study dealing with bat flies in the Maranhão State. The work was done at seven different areas in the cities Bacabeira, São Luis, Santa Inês and Tufilândia. The bats were captured in mist nets and the parasites were collected with tweezers. A total of 559 bat flies belonging to 25 species, (22 species of the family Streblidae and 2 of Nycteribiidae), were colleted from 118 bats belonging to 22 species, 13 genera and 4 families. Trichobius joblingi Wenzel, 1966 was the most frequent species with 28.7 percent of the collected individuals. This study registered a high number of species of bat flies in the state, evidencing the importance of the area for studies of biodiversity, as well as aspects related to host-parasite relationships.