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Copyright of Biotropica is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Hyperparasitism is defined as the interaction where one parasite is infected by another parasite. In bat flies (Streblidae and Nycteribiidae), both hyperparasites and microparasites (bacteria, viruses, fungi, and arthropods such as mites) have been documented. Fungi belonging to the order Laboulbeniales are microscopic parasites of a wide diversity of arthropod hosts. Three genera exclusively target bat flies: Arthrorhynchus, which parasitizes species within Nycteribiidae in the Eastern Hemisphere, while genus Gloeandromyces and Nycteromyces parasitize Streblidae in the Western Hemisphere. Among the hyperparasitic arthropods, mites of family Neothrombidiidae, particularly the monospecific genus Monunguis, are known to parasitize bat flies. Here we present the first records of the hyperparasites Monunguis streblida and Gloeandromyces pageanus f. polymorphus parasitizing Streblidae bat flies in Colombia and a summary of these hyperparasitic interactions in the Neotropics. We detected fungi and mites parasitizing bat flies that were collected in the Magdalena River Basin, Colombia, in field expeditions in 2018, 2022, and 2023. We identified 17 bat flies and two species of hyperparasites, specifically M. streblida and the fungi Gloeandromyces. Our search for reports of these interactions in the Neotropics revealed that seven species of Trichobius (Streblidae) are parasitized by M. streblida, whereas Paratrichobius longicrus (Streblidae) is parasitized by Gloeandromyces pageanus f. polymorphus. These interactions have been reported in 11 countries, but our records are the first of M. streblida and Laboulbeniales fungi parasitizing bat flies in Colombia. So far, a total of 14 species of fungi and one species of mite have been associated with 19 species of bat flies, which in turn, are linked to 15 species of Neotropical bats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interaction networks can help understand how species are connected and the implications of these interactions for the ecosystem. This study aimed to identify the pattern of interaction between bats and ectoparasites in Sergipe and calculate the metrics of connectance, specialization, nesting, modularity, and centrality. This study was conducted based on host-parasite relationship data recorded in Sergipe and reported in previous studies. Connectance and specialization (H2’) were calculated using the “networklevel” and “specieslevel” functions, respectively. The NODF and QuanBiMo (Q) metrics were used to determine nesting and modularity, respectively. For centrality, relative degree (Kr), closeness centrality (CC), and betweenness centrality (BC) were determined. The connectance value (0.11) was considered high. H2’ was 0, and the complementary specialization (d’) values ranged from 0 to 1. The nesting and modularity values were 15.95 and 0.58, respectively. The highest Kr value was observed for Platyrrhinus lineatus. The highest CC value was observed for Atribeus planirostris. The highest BC values were recorded for A. planirostris and P. lineatus. High modularity, low nesting, and low connectivity have been frequently reported for antagonistic interactions, which may be due to the high specificity indices of these interactions. In this study, although the modularity value was significant, specialization was low, suggesting that the studied network has a composite topology. Thus, this study provides relevant information on the subject, highlighting the need for more studies to help understand the topology of networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bats are a significant reservoir for numerous pathogens, including Bartonella spp. It is one of the emerging zoonotic bacterial diseases that can be transmitted to humans and may cause various unspecific clinical manifestations. Thus, bartonellosis is rarely diagnosed and is regarded as a neglected vector-borne disease (VBD). Bat flies have been hypothesised to be a vector in the transmission of pathogens among bats. They are host-specific, which reduces the likelihood of pathogen transmission across bat species; however, they are likely to maintain high pathogen loads within their host species. To explore the presence of Bartonella spp. in bat flies from Peninsular Malaysia; bat fly samples collected from various sites at the east coast states were subjected to molecular detection for Bartonella spp. It was discovered that 38.7 % of bats from Terengganu and Kelantan were infested with bat flies; however, no bat fly was found in bats collected from Pahang. The collected bat flies belonged to the families Nycteribiidae (79.6 %) and Streblidae (20.4 %). The collected bat flies were pooled according to the locations and species into 39 pools. Out of these 39 pools, 66.7 % (n = 26) were positive for Bartonella spp. by PCR. Sequence analyses of five randomly selected PCR-positive pools revealed that pools from Kelantan (n = 3) have the closest sequence identities (99 %) to Bartonella spp. strain Lisso-Nig-922 from Nigeria. However, the other pools from Terengganu (n = 2) were closely related to Bartonella spp. strain KP277 from Thailand and Bartonella spp. strain Rhin-3 from the Republic of Georgia with 99 % and 100 % sequence identity, respectively. This suggests that the Bartonella spp. found in Malaysian bat flies are genetically diverse and can potentially serve as reservoirs for pathogenic Bartonella spp.

New information is presented regarding bats and their ectoparasite insects in the Esteros del Iberá ecoregion, Corrientes, Argentina. The aim of this study was to explore the diversity of ectoparasite species found on bats in northeastern Argentina and analyze their taxonomic features, hosts, and distribution. Bats were collected from the Molossidae, Pyllostomidae and Vespertilionidae families along with ectoparasites from the Streblidae, Nycteribiidae (Diptera), Polyctenidae (Hemiptera) and Ischnopsyllidae (Siphonaptera) families. Aspidoptera falcata Wenzel, 1976, Megistopoda theodori Wenzel, 1966, Hesperoctenes eumops Ferris & Usinger, 1939 and Hespercotenes fumarius Westwood, 1874 were added to the ectoparasite fauna for the province of Corrientes, increasing the number of species and their geographic distribution. A rarely studied stage of a larva about to emerge from the posterior end of Basilia carteri Scott, 1936 (Nycteribiidae) was recorded. Additionally, 13 parasitological associations were made for the Esteros del Iberá, four of which are new for the province of Corrientes: B. carteri with Myotis riparius Handley, 1960, H. fumarius and H. giganteus Ronderos, 1959 with Molossus rufus É. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1806 and Myodopsylla wolffsohni wolffsohni Rothschild, 1903 with M. riparius Handley, 1960; the latter being also new for Argentina. These results provide host and locality records and new parasite-host associations.

Las moscas ectoparásitas de quirópteros (Streblidae) son un grupo altamente especializado por su relación casi permanente y específica con sus hospederos. En Colombia los estudios han estado centrados en la descripción de especies, pero pocos acercamientos han incluido las comunidades andinas. Este trabajo realiza un aporte sobre la diversidad de estréblidos en una comunidad de murciélagos en un intervalo urbano-rural en la reserva Alto de San Miguel, norte de los Andes en Antioquia. Se capturaron un total de 73 murciélagos y se recolectaron manualmente 41 ectoparásitos en tres zonas de muestreo con diferencias en cobertura vegetal y grados contrastantes de urbanización (natural, rural y urbana). Los ectoparásitos recolectados fueron identificados hasta el nivel de especie y se estimaron los pará-metros de prevalencia e intensidad promedio de infestación. Se encontraron un total de nueve especies en catorce especies de murciélagos de la familia Phyllostomidae, con una prevalencia general del 41 %. El análisis indicó que la probabilidad de infestación no presento diferencias respecto al sexo del hospedero ni por el nivel de urbanización. Los resultados presentados constituyen el segundo estudio de la relación estréblidos-murciélagos en ambientes andinos en el país, aportando datos nuevos sobre la riqueza de este grupo. En este trabajo se reporta a Paratrichobius sanchezi, Megistopoda theodori y Strebla christinae como nuevos registros de estréblidos para Colombia.

Introduction: Bats, along with their ectoparasites, harbor a wide diversity of symbiotic and potential pathogenic bacteria. Despite the enormous diversity of bats (181 species), few studies aimed to investigate the bacterial microbiome of Brazilian chiropterans and associated ectoparasites. This study aimed to characterize the bacterial microbiome of non-hematophagous bats and associated Streblidae flies and Macronyssidae and Spinturnicidae mites in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, midwestern Brazil. Methods: Oral and rectal swabs were collected from 30 bats (Artibeus lituratus [n = 13], Artibeus planirostris [n = 9], Eptesicus furinalis [n = 5], Carollia perspicillata [n = 2], and Platyrrhinus lineatus [n = 1]). In addition, a total of 58 mites (15 Macronyssidae and 43 Spinturnicidae) and 48 Streblidae bat flies were collected from the captured bats. After DNA extraction and purification, each sample's bacterial composition was analyzed with metagenomic sequencing. Results: The microbiome composition of both oral and rectal bat swab samples showed that Gammaproteobacteria was the most abundant bacterial class. Spiroplasma, Wolbachia and Bartonella represented the most abundant genera in Streblidae flies. While Wolbachia (Alphaproteobacteria) was the most abundant genus found in Spinturnicidae, Arsenophonus (Gammaproteobacteria) was found in high abundance in Macronyssidae mites. In addition to characterizing the microbiome of each sample at the class and genus taxonomic levels, we identified medically significant bacteria able to infect both animals and humans in oral (Streptococcus and Anaplasma) and rectal swabs (Enterobacter, Klebsiella, Escherichia, Enterococcus, Streptococcus), Macronyssidae (Anaplasma, Bartonella, Ehrlichia) and Spinturnicidae (Anaplasma, Bartonella) mites as well as Streblidae flies (Spiroplasma, Bartonella). Discussion and conclusion: Besides expanding the knowledge on the bacterial microbiome of non-hematophagous bats and Streblidae flies from Brazil, the present work showed, for the first time, the bacterial community of bat-associated Macronyssidae and Spinturnicidae mites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ectoparasites found on bats are known to contain important microbes. However, the viruses hosted by these obligate parasites are understudied. This has led to the near oversight of the potential role of these ectoparasites in virus maintenance and transmission from bats to other interacting species and the environment. Here, we sampled bat ectoparasites parasitizing a diverse selection of bat species in the families Rhinolophidae, Vespertilionidae, Megadermatidae, Hipposideridae and Pteropodidae in Yunnan Province, China. We show that the ectoparasite prevalence was generally higher in male compared to female bats. Most ectoparasites were found to fall within the Nycteribiidae, Spinturnicidae and Streblidae bat ectoparasite families. We subsequently applied a non-biased sequencing of libraries prepared from the pooled ectoparasites, followed by an in-silico virus-centric analysis of the resultant reads. We show that ectoparasites hosted by the sampled families of bats are found to carry, in addition to a diverse set of phages, vertebrate and insect viruses in the families Aliusviridae, Ascoviridae, Chuviridae, Circoviridae, Flaviviridae, Hepadnaviridae, Hepeviridae, Herpesviridae, Iridoviridae, Marseilleviridae, Nairoviridae, Orthomyxoviridae, Parvoviridae, Poxviridae, Reoviridae, Retroviridae, and Rhabdoviridae. We further report a partial Parvovirus VP1/VP2 gene and partial Poxvirus ubiquitin-like gene predicted by two independent next generation sequencing data analysis pipelines. This study describes the natural virome of bat ectoparasites, providing a platform for understanding the role these ectoparasites play in the maintenance and spread of viruses to other animals.

Bat flies (Nycteribiidae and Streblidae) have been used to study co-evolutionary patterns between ectoparasites and bats. In the world, Nycteribiidae and Streblidae are represented by approximately 276 and 237 species, respectively. In regions such as the Orinoquia located in the north of South America (Colombia and Venezuela), the richness of bats is high (more than 100 documented species), but studies on Nycteribiidae and Streblidae are scarce and discontinuous. To contribute to the knowledge of ectoparasitic flies in the Orinoquia, records of flies and their interactions with bats were reviewed, including new records and associations using interaction networks. We documented 124 species of Streblidae and only 12 of Nycteribiidae for the Orinoquia in approximately 102 bat species reported in Colombia and Venezuela. New records for six species of bat flies in Colombia were found (Mastoptera guimaraesi, Noctiliostrebla maai, Paradyschiria parvuloides, Trichobius jubatus, Trichobius parasiticus, and Basilia ferrisi) associated with six species of bats (Cynomops planirostris, Desmodus rotundus, Myotis handleyi, Molossus rufus, Noctilio albiventris, and Phyllostomus hastatus). The bat-ectoparasite interaction networks in the Orinoquia revealed a pattern of antagonistic relationships, with high specialization, modularity, and low connectivity and nesting. The identified networks are between bat fly species belonging to different ecomorphological groups with unique host species. This supports the idea of ecological niche partitioning among ectoparasitic bat flies and hosts. Our study expanded the knowledge of the distribution of some fly species and the associations with bat hosts in Colombia, by presenting morphological descriptions and new observations, which are key to understanding the ecology, diversity, and distribution of these species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological interactions between parasites and their hosts play a fundamental role in evolutionary processes. Selection pressures are exerted on parasites and their hosts, usually resulting in high levels of specificity. Such is the case of ectoparasitic bat‐flies, but how large‐scale spatial gradients affect the dynamics of their interactions with their bat hosts is still unknown. In the present study, we investigated interaction patterns between bats and their ectoparasitic flies (Streblidae and Nycteribiidae), both presenting their peak of diversity in the Neotropical region, along a latitudinal gradient. Using network analyses and parasitic indices, grounded on the latitudinal diversity gradient pattern, we evaluated how spatial gradients affect species interactions and parasitic indices at the biogeopraphic scale, with increasing species richness in interaction networks closer to the tropics, leading to increases in network modularity, size, and specialization, and to a decrease in nesting and connectivity. We conducted a literature review, focusing on studies done in the Neotropical region, and own data. We obtained a bat richness of 97 species parasitized by 128 species of ectoparasitic flies, distributed into 57 interaction networks between latitudes 29° S and 19° N in the Neotropic. Network metrics and parasitic indices varied along the latitudinal gradient, with changes in the richness of bats and their ectoparasitic flies and in the structure of their interactions; network specialization, modularity, and connectance increase with latitude, while network size decreases with latitude. Regions closer to the equator had higher parasite loads. Our results show that interaction network metrics present a latitudinal gradient and that such interactions, when observed at a local scale, hide variations that only become perceptible at larger scales. In this way, ectoparasites such as bat flies are not only influenced by the ecology and biology of their hosts, but also by other environmental factors acting directly on their distribution and survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Caldasia is the property of Universidad Nacional de Colombia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract Background Understanding the interactions between bat flies and host bats offer us fundamental insights into the coevolutionary and ecological processes in host-parasite relationships. Here, we investigated the identities, host specificity, and patterns of host association of bat flies in a subtropical region in East Asia, which is an understudied region for bat fly research. Methods We used both morphological characteristics and DNA barcoding to identify the bat fly species found on 11 cavernicolous bat species from five bat families inhabiting Hong Kong. We first determined the phylogenetic relationships among bat fly species. Then, we elucidated the patterns of bat-bat fly associations and calculated the host specificity of each bat fly species. Furthermore, we assembled the mitogenomes of three bat fly species from two families (Nycteribiidae and Streblidae) to contribute to the limited bat fly genetic resources available. Results We examined 641 individuals of bat flies and found 20 species, of which many appeared to be new to science. Species of Nycteribiidae included five Nycteribia spp., three Penicillidia spp., two Phthiridium spp., one Basilia sp., and one species from a hitherto unknown genus, whereas Streblidae included Brachytarsina amboinensis, three Raymondia spp., and four additional Brachytarsina spp. Our bat-bat fly association network shows that certain closely related bat flies within Nycteribiidae and Streblidae only parasitized host bat species that are phylogenetically more closely related. For example, congenerics of Raymondia only parasitized hosts in Rhinolophus and Hipposideros, which are in two closely related families in Rhinolophoidea, but not other distantly related co-roosting species. A wide spectrum of host specificity of these bat fly species was also revealed, with some bat fly species being strictly monoxenous, e.g. nycteribiid Nycteribia sp. A, Phthiridium sp. A, and streblid Raymondia sp. A, while streblid B. amboinensis is polyxenous. Conclusions The bat fly diversity and specificity uncovered in this study have shed light on the complex bat-bat fly ecology in the region, but more bat-parasite association studies are still needed in East Asian regions like China as a huge number of unknown species likely exists. We highly recommend the use of DNA barcoding to support morphological identification to reveal accurate host-ectoparasite relationships for future studies. Graphical Abstract

Human land use causes habitat loss and fragmentation, influencing host-parasite associations through changes in infestation rates, host mortality and possibly local extinction. Bat-ectoparasite interactions are an important host-parasite model possibly affected by such changes, as this system acts as both reservoirs and vectors of several pathogens that can infect different wild and domestic species. This study aimed to assess how the prevalence and abundance of bat ectoparasites respond to forest loss, fragmentation, and edge length. Bats and ectoparasites were sampled at twenty sites, forming a gradient of forest cover, in southwestern Brazil during two wet (2015 and 2016) and two dry (2016 and 2017) seasons. Effects of landscape metrics on host abundance as well as parasite prevalence and abundance were assessed through structural equation models. Nine host-parasite associations provided sufficient data for analyses, including one tick and eight flies on four bat species. Forest cover positively influenced the prevalence or abundance of three fly species, but negatively influenced one fly and the tick species. Prevalence or abundance responded positively to edge length for three fly species, and negatively for the tick. In turn, number of fragments influenced the prevalence or abundance of four fly species, two positively and two negatively. Our results support species-specific responses of ectoparasites to landscape features, and a tendency of host-generalist ticks to benefit from deforestation while most host-specialist flies are disadvantaged. Differences in host traits and abundance, along with parasite life cycles and environmental conditions, are possible explanations to our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Ecological interactions between parasites and their hosts play a fundamental role in evolutionary processes. Selection pressures are exerted on parasites and their hosts, usually resulting in high levels of specificity. Such is the case of ectoparasitic bat‐flies, but how large‐scale spatial gradients affect the dynamics of their interactions with their bat hosts is still unknown. In the present study, we investigated interaction patterns between bats and their ectoparasitic flies (Streblidae and Nycteribiidae), both presenting their peak of diversity in the Neotropical region, along a latitudinal gradient. Using network analyses and parasitic indices, grounded on the latitudinal diversity gradient pattern, we evaluated how spatial gradients affect species interactions and parasitic indices at the biogeopraphic scale, with increasing species richness in interaction networks closer to the tropics, leading to increases in network modularity, size, and specialization, and to a decrease in nesting and connectivity. We conducted a literature review, focusing on studies done in the Neotropical region, and own data. We obtained a bat richness of 97 species parasitized by 128 species of ectoparasitic flies, distributed into 57 interaction networks between latitudes 29° S and 19° N in the Neotropic. Network metrics and parasitic indices varied along the latitudinal gradient, with changes in the richness of bats and their ectoparasitic flies and in the structure of their interactions; network specialization, modularity, and connectance increase with latitude, while network size decreases with latitude. Regions closer to the equator had higher parasite loads. Our results show that interaction network metrics present a latitudinal gradient and that such interactions, when observed at a local scale, hide variations that only become perceptible at larger scales. In this way, ectoparasites such as bat flies are not only influenced by the ecology and biology of their hosts, but also by other environmental factors acting directly on their distribution and survival.

Parasites are integral parts of ecosystem function and important drivers of evolutionary processes. Characterizing ectoparasite diversity is fundamental to studies of host–parasite interactions, evolution, and conservation, and also for understanding emerging disease threats for some vector borne pathogens. With more than 1400 species, bats represent the second most speciose mammalian clade, but their ectoparasite fauna are poorly known for most species. We sequenced mitochondrial Cytochrome Oxidase C subunit I and nuclear 18S ribosomal gene fragments, and used Bayesian phylogenetic analyses to characterize ectoparasite taxon identity and diversity for 17 species of parasitized bats sampled along the Baja California peninsula and in Northwestern Mexico. The sequence data revealed multiple novel lineages of bat bugs (Cimicidae), flies (Nycteribiidae and Streblidae), and ticks (Argasidae). Within families, the new linages showed more than 10% sequence divergence, which is consistent with separation at least at the species level. Both families of bat flies showed host specificity, particularly on Myotis species. We also identified new records for the Baja peninsula of one tick (Carios kelleyi), and of five Streblid bat fly species. One Nycteribiid bat fly haplotype from Pallid bat (Antrozous pallidus) hosts was found throughout the peninsula, suggesting potential long distance co‐dispersal with hosts. Different bat bug and tick communities were found in the north and south of the peninsula. This study is the first systematic survey of bat ectoparasites in the Baja California peninsula, revealing novel lineages that are highly genetically differentiated from other parts of North America. For some ectoparasite species, haplotype distributions may reflect patterns of bat migration. This work is a first step in characterizing ectoparasite diversity over the Baja California peninsula, and understanding how ecological and evolutionary interactions shape bat ectoparasite communities among host species in different parts of their ranges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Understanding the interactions between bat flies and host bats offer us fundamental insights into the coevolutionary and ecological processes in host-parasite relationships. Here, we investigated the identities, host specificity, and patterns of host association of bat flies in a subtropical region in East Asia, which is an understudied region for bat fly research. Methods: We used both morphological characteristics and DNA barcoding to identify the bat fly species found on 11 cavernicolous bat species from five bat families inhabiting Hong Kong. We first determined the phylogenetic relationships among bat fly species. Then, we elucidated the patterns of bat-bat fly associations and calculated the host specificity of each bat fly species. Furthermore, we assembled the mitogenomes of three bat fly species from two families (Nycteribiidae and Streblidae) to contribute to the limited bat fly genetic resources available. Results: We examined 641 individuals of bat flies and found 20 species, of which many appeared to be new to science. Species of Nycteribiidae included five Nycteribia spp., three Penicillidia spp., two Phthiridium spp., one Basilia sp., and one species from a hitherto unknown genus, whereas Streblidae included Brachytarsina amboinensis, three Raymondia spp., and four additional Brachytarsina spp. Our bat-bat fly association network shows that certain closely related bat flies within Nycteribiidae and Streblidae only parasitized host bat species that are phylogenetically more closely related. For example, congenerics of Raymondia only parasitized hosts in Rhinolophus and Hipposideros, which are in two closely related families in Rhinolophoidea, but not other distantly related co-roosting species. A wide spectrum of host specificity of these bat fly species was also revealed, with some bat fly species being strictly monoxenous, e.g. nycteribiid Nycteribia sp. A, Phthiridium sp. A, and streblid Raymondia sp. A, while streblid B. amboinensis is polyxenous. Conclusions: The bat fly diversity and specificity uncovered in this study have shed light on the complex bat-bat fly ecology in the region, but more bat-parasite association studies are still needed in East Asian regions like China as a huge number of unknown species likely exists. We highly recommend the use of DNA barcoding to support morphological identification to reveal accurate host-ectoparasite relationships for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conversion of natural areas into agricultural landscapes results in different mosaics of land use types, modifying biodiversity and consequently altering the patterns of ecological interactions, such as between frugivorous bats and ectoparasites. Our objectives were to investigate whether variations in the configuration and composition of human-disturbed landscapes interfere with the prevalence and average intensity of ectoparasite infestation in the frugivorous bats Artibeus lituratus (Olfers, 1818), Carollia perspicillata (Linnaeus, 1758), and Sturnira lilium (É Geoffroy, 1810), in a region of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We also evaluated whether there is a response in the parasite load associated with the ectoparasite group (mite or fly). We found six species of flies and three mites. The proportion of infested hosts was more affected by the landscape than the mean infestation values. Land cover diversity influenced seven of the interactions studied. Forest cover affected eight of the interactions and was associated with a reduction in the parasite load in seven of them. The increase in the proportion of edges per area of each fragment presented a different influence related to the host species. Variations in parasite load did not show any typical response related to the mite or fly group. Our study indicates that landscape configuration and composition interfere with bat-ectoparasite interactions, which may be related to interference in encounter rates between hosts (for mites and flies) and between hosts and their ectoparasites in roosts (for flies). The taxonomic identity of the interacting species suggests that the relationship with the landscape is context-dependent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In urban and degraded areas, ectoparasite abundance can be affected by increasing human population density and habitat fragmentation. This study aimed to characterize the ectoparasitic fly community associated with bats in the urban green areas of Sergipe, Brazil. Campaigns were conducted monthly, for two consecutive nights, between September 2019 and February 2021. To capture the bats, ten mist nets were set up inside and at the edge of the habitat fragments. All ectoparasites found were removed from the bats and stored in 70% alcohol. The specificity index, parasitological rates, and level of parasite aggregation were calculated, and the influence of host sex and seasonality on parasitological rates were verified for the most parasitized bats. The collected ectoparasites corresponded to the families Nycteribiidae (S = 1; n = 26) and Streblidae (S = 13; n = 849), with Trichobius costalimai and Medistopoda aranea being the most abundant species. For some interactions, there was an influence of host sex on the prevalence rates, with the highest number of parasites being found on females, which can be explained by their greater susceptibility to parasitism owing to their long stay in roosts. The seasonality influenced the parasitological rates, and opposing patterns (from what was expected) were observed for some interactions; this influence may be due to the biological differences between parasite species. This study provides relevant data on this interaction, especially for urban areas in northeastern Brazil, expanding the number of studies in the State of Sergipe and promoting future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pressures from anthropogenic disturbances have triggered a wealth of studies focusing on the assessment and mitigation of the negative impacts of these disturbances on inter and intraspecific ecological interactions, including bats and bat flies in their roosts. The heterogeneity of research methods employed for these studies and the scientific imbalance between countries may constrain advances and the consolidation of the knowledge on this subject. We reviewed the literature regarding bat and bat-ectoparasite interactions in roosts assessing global research trends and patterns of author collaborative work to be able to identify key questions for future studies and potential initiatives to improve the knowledge on this subject. Current information available has mostly come from the Americas and is predominantly focused on the recognition and description of parasite-host interactions between bats and bat flies. Our findings suggest the value of increasing collaboration for future research, as several countries with largely diverse environments and high organismal richness are disconnected from the countries that produce the most publications in this area, and/or have low records of publications. These regions are in the Global South, mostly in South American and African countries. We suggest that more collaborative networks may increase scientific production in the area, and that investing in local research development and enhancing partnerships for publications may strengthen the field. These research programs and collaborations are key for the development of conservation strategies for bats and bat flies, for their roosts, and for understanding bat and bat-ectoparasite interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanisation has a wide range of impacts on biodiversity, but its effects on parasitic arthropods, particularly those of bats, remain poorly studied. Ectoparasites of the large-footed myotis (Myotis macropus) in eastern Australia were sampled from 10 roost sites across an urban gradient. In total, 265 bats were examined and 447 ectoparasites were collected, comprising three species of Hippoboscoidea: Basilia hamsmithi (Nycteribiidae), Penicillidia setosala (Nycteribiidae), Brachytarsina amboinensis (Streblidae), and an acarine, Spinturnix novaehollandiae (Mesostigmata, Spinturnicidae). Degree of urbanisation was found to have a significant effect on the abundance of the batfly B. hamsmithi but had no significant effect on the abundance of the wing mite S. novaehollandiae. We hypothesise that this is due to differences in the life history of these two species and the advantage components of these differences confer in exploiting variations in host roost habits. The prevalence of the batfly B. hamsmithi was high in urban sites but comparatively low in suburban and non-urban sites. Mass, sex, and body condition were found to have no significant impact on either the parasite load or the chance of infestation. Both P. setosala and B. amboinensis were recorded from M. macropus for the first time, though only in small numbers. They were associated with mixed-species roosts in a suburban site and are evidence of parasite spillover between sympatric bat species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Network analysis has been used for understanding complex systems in biology for decades. However, scant information is available for networks of antagonistic interactions. The aim of this study was to describe and compare bat-ectoparasite interaction networks in tropical dry forests (TFDs) in the Brazilian Cerrado and Caatinga biomes, which have contrasting environmental conditions and surrounding matrix. Bats and ectoparasites were sampled at six sites in northern and central Minas Gerais State, southeast Brazil. Network connectance, nestedness and number of compartments were compared between regions, as well as bat species richness, abundance and centrality, and ectoparasite specialization. The effect of bat phylogenetic relatedness on the similarity of their associated ectoparasite species was also tested. Bat-ectoparasite networks were nested, connected and highly compartmentalized in TDFs from both regions, with no significant differences in network structure. In addition, host species richness negatively influenced nestedness and connectance, but was positively related to compartment number. These findings are likely related to the high specialization observed for bat-fly species (usually one exclusive parasite species per host), resulting in networks with few interactions. Bat abundance positively affected bat-fly richness, indicating that resource availability is important in determining host-parasite relationships. Finally, phylogenetically related species of bats possessed more similar ectoparasite faunas, which may be associated with evolutionary responses of ectoparasites to escape defensive mechanisms of different bat species. Our results suggest that local bat-ectoparasite interactions are influenced by both ecological factors and evolutionary constraints, but the effects of environmental conditions on network topology deserved further detailed studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bat species present a series of attributes that makes them prone to being parasitized. Bat flies (Streblidae) are hematophagous ectoparasites exclusive to bats. Our study aimed to investigate the association of bat flies with the Common vampire bat, Desmodus rotundus (É. Geoffroy, 1810), in Honduras. We analyzed the effect of sex and age of the host on parasitism. Eight localities belonging to six departments were sampled in an altitudinal range between 50 and 995 m. Field data were obtained between May 2018 to November 2019 and 80 individuals were captured, from which 395 bat flies were extracted. Four species of bat flies were registered: Strebla wiedemanni Kolenati, 1856, Trichobius parasiticus Gervais, 1844, T. joblingi Wenzel, 1966 and T. caecus Edwards, 1948. Trichobius parasiticus presented the highest prevalence and mean intensity, followed by S. wiedemanni. Trichobius joblingi and T. caecus are new records of parasitism on D. rotundus for Honduras, although we consider as an accidental association. We recorded six types of infracommunities that parasitized 85% of the hosts. The prevalence and mean intensity was not affected by age and sex of the host for any bat fly species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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.

Global changes have increased the risk of emerging infectious diseases, which can be prevented or mitigated by studying host-parasite interactions, among other measures. Bats and their ectoparasitic flies of the families Streblidae and Nycteribiidae are an excellent study model but, so far, our knowledge has been restricted to fragmented records at a local scale. To help boost research, we assembled a data set of bat-fly interactions from 174 studies published between 1904 and 2022 plus three original data sets. Altogether, these studies were carried out at 650 sites in the Neotropics, mainly distributed in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, southern USA, and Colombia, among other countries. In total, our data set contains 3984 interaction records between 237 bat species and 255 fly species. The bat species with the largest number of recorded interactions were Carollia perspicillata (357), Artibeus jamaicensis (263), and Artibeus lituratus (228). The fly species with the largest number of recorded interactions were Trichobius joblingi (256), Megistopoda aranea (235), and Megistopoda proxima (215). The interaction data were extracted, filtered, taxonomically harmonized, and made available in a tidy format together with linked data on bat population, fly population, study reference, sampling methods and geographic information from the study sites. This interconnected structure enables the expansion of information for each interaction record, encompassing where and how each interaction occurred, as well as the number of bats and flies involved. We expect BatFly to open new avenues for research focused on different levels of ecological organization and spatial scales. It will help consolidate knowledge about ecological specialization, resource distribution, pathogen transmission, and the drivers of parasite prevalence over a broad spatial range. It may also help to answer key questions such as: Are there differences in fly prevalence or mean infestation across Neotropical ecoregions? What ecological drivers explain those differences? How do specialization patterns vary among fly species in the Neotropics? Furthermore, we expect BatFly to inspire research aimed at understanding how climate and land-use changes may impact host-parasite interactions and disease outbreaks. This kind of research may help us reach Sustainable Development Goal 3, Good Health and Wellbeing, outlined by the United Nations. The data are released under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological networks represent the energy flow and interactions among the species of an ecological community. Streblidae is a family of bloodsucking flies specialized in parasitizing bats, thus forming an ecological network. The purpose of this study was to investigate the specialization and modularity of a bat fly antagonist ecological network in a tropical dry forest in northern Colombia. Bat hosts were sampled by using mist nets, while bat flies were collected directly from the hosts by using entomological forceps. The network was built with the Bipartite package from R software. The sampling effort resulted in 270 bat flies recorded on 45 host individuals. The network showed a high specialization (= 0.67) and a low connectance (C = 0.30). Paradyschiria parvuloides was the most specialized fly (d = 0.95). The interactions exhibited a high modularity (Q = 0.57), with five modules. This study confirms the high specialization between bats and Streblidae flies, which is influenced by factors such as fidelity to the refuge and habitat, and host abundance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bat ectoparasitic flies are hematophagous insects highly specialized to parasitize only bats. Knowledge about how biotic and abiotic factors can influence ecological relationships between parasites and hosts is in general incipient. Large information gaps are even worst in biodiversity-rich, but poorly sampled areas like Brazil's Caatinga, the largest tropical dry forest in South America. We used bats and their highly specialized ectoparasitic flies as a study model to clarify some aspects of this host-parasite system in this semiarid environment. We conducted fieldwork at 55 sites in the Caatinga, between April 2017 and March 2020 and collected 1300 flies (19 species) on 333 bats (15 species). Bat ectoparasitic flies were highly host-specific, had an aggregated distribution, frequently formed infracommunities with only one species, and had a male-biased sex ratio. Except for the prevalence of the streblid fly Strebla guajiro on Carollia perspicillata, which was significantly higher in the rainy season, bat flies showed no preference — expressed by frequency and intensity of infestation — for host sex, and their interspecific relationships were not mediated by rainfall. Other variables that could potentially be interfering in this host-parasite relationship deserve further attention, especially in environments such as the Caatinga where there is great seasonal variation. Furthermore, the existence of species-specific responses must be taken into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing anthropization is detrimental to the natural environment and the quality of life, affecting populations, communities, and the relationships between organisms. One of the most unique relationships in the animal world is parasitism, which often involves tightly specialized interactions between pairs of species. Bat flies, for example, are obligate ectoparasites represented by two highly adapted dipteran families that usually parasite a single bat species or genus. Recent studies have shown that bat flies could carry pathogens such as bacteria and viruses, transmitting them among bat individuals in a colony. Because host roost characteristics can influence bat-fly parasitism, we aimed to assess whether the ecological networks between parasites and their host bats are influenced by the degree of habitat anthropization. Our hypothesis was that bat-fly interaction networks would be less specialized and more nested in highly anthropized sites. We collected bat fly individuals from bats captured at 21 sampling sites located in the Federal District of Brazil and quantified the amount of natural and anthropized area within a 3-km buffer from the sampling site. Areas consisting of agriculture, construction, mining, roads, or any man-made structure were considered anthropized. Sites presented different degrees of anthropization, with areas ranging from 100% anthropized to areas retaining full natural cover. We built bat-bat fly networks for each of the sites and excluded those with sampling completeness values smaller than 0.7. We calculated key weighted structural metrics for each network, such as nestedness, specialization, and modularity. The effect of the reduction in natural cover on structural metrics was assessed through GLMMs, controlling for network size and ectoparasite diversity. Nestedness increased with the amount of anthropization, while specialization and modularity did not change and were overall high in all networks. This result suggests that anthropization may influence the assembly of bat-bat fly networks, leading to the emergence of a hierarchical assembly of interactions as parasites become less specialized and interact with a wider variety of hosts. Less specialized relationships could influence parasite fitness or even increase the likelihood of transmitting pathogens between populations of different bat species.

Recently, network approaches have gained increasing popularity in studies of species interactions. These analyses provide important information about structural and functional organisation, as well as on the dynamics of species interactions. Common model systems for network studies include seed dispersal, pollination, and also parasite interactions.Bat flies (Diptera: Streblidae, Nycteribiidae) are obligate blood‐sucking ectoparasites of bats. Resource partitioning allows multiple fly species to co‐occur on a single host individual, making them an ideal model system for network analyses.Between 2013 and 2018 in Central Panama, 6528 bats from 53 species were examined for the presence of bat flies. Thereof, we collected a total of 6077 bat flies belonging to 52 species.The resulting interaction network showed a significantly higher specificity (H2' = 0.97) and modularity (Q = 0.78) than expected by chance, indicating a very high host specificity of the bat flies. To investigate parasite interactions in the context of host size, host abundance and roosting preferences, we pooled parasite identifications on genus level. The majority of our identified modules were associated with bats using persistent roosting structures. Neither host size nor host abundance appeared to affect module structure. Further, module structure appeared not to be host‐phylogeny driven, instead modules were often composed of species known to share roosting structures.Their high host‐specificity could put bat flies at risk of extinction in changing environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patterns of specialization and the structure of interactions between bats and ectoparasitic flies have been studied mostly on non-urban environments and at local scales. Thus, how anthropogenic disturbances influence species interactions and network structure in this system remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated patterns of interaction between Phyllostomidae bats and ectoparasitic Streblidae flies, and variations in network specialization and structure across Cerrado patches within urbanized landscapes in Brazil and between local and regional scales. We found high similarity in the richness and composition of bat and fly species across communities, associated with low turnover of interactions between networks. The high specialization of bat–streblid interactions resulted in little connected and modular networks, with the emergence of modules containing subsets of species that interact exclusively or primarily with each other. Such similarities in species and interaction composition and network structure across communities and scales suggest that bat–fly interactions within Cerrado patches are little affected by the degree of human modification in the surrounding matrix. This remarkable consistency is likely promoted by specific behaviors, the tolerance of Phyllostomidae bats to surrounding urbanized landscapes as well as by the specificity of the streblid–bat interactions shaped over evolutionary time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract New information is presented for bats and their ectoparasite insects from the Argentine Field and Weedlands Ecoregion. Bats of the families Molossidae, Phyllostomidae and Vespertilionidae containing ectoparasites belonging to families Polyctenidae (Hemiptera), Nycteribiidae and Streblidae (Diptera) were collected. Here is presented the first record of Hesperoctenes cartus Jordan, 1922 for Argentina. Basilia plaumanni Scott, 1940 and H. vicinus Jordan, 1922 are added to the province of Misiones and Paratrichobius longicrus (Miranda Ribeiro, 1907) is added to the province of Corrientes. Additionally, the distributions of some ectoparasite insects are extended and new host-ectoparasite associations are reported.

Bats are a significant reservoir for numerous pathogens, including Bartonella spp. It is one of the emerging zoonotic bacterial diseases that can be transmitted to humans and may cause various unspecific clinical manifestations. Thus, bartonellosis is rarely diagnosed and is regarded as a neglected vector-borne disease (VBD). Bat flies have been hypothesised to be a vector in the transmission of pathogens among bats. They are host-specific, which reduces the likelihood of pathogen transmission across bat species; however, they are likely to maintain high pathogen loads within their host species. To explore the presence of Bartonella spp. in bat flies from Peninsular Malaysia; bat fly samples collected from various sites at the east coast states were subjected to molecular detection for Bartonella spp. It was discovered that 38.7 % of bats from Terengganu and Kelantan were infested with bat flies; however, no bat fly was found in bats collected from Pahang. The collected bat flies belonged to the families Nycteribiidae (79.6 %) and Streblidae (20.4 %). The collected bat flies were pooled according to the locations and species into 39 pools. Out of these 39 pools, 66.7 % (n = 26) were positive for Bartonella spp. by PCR. Sequence analyses of five randomly selected PCR-positive pools revealed that pools from Kelantan (n = 3) have the closest sequence identities (99 %) to Bartonella spp. strain Lisso-Nig-922 from Nigeria. However, the other pools from Terengganu (n = 2) were closely related to Bartonella spp. strain KP277 from Thailand and Bartonella spp. strain Rhin-3 from the Republic of Georgia with 99 % and 100 % sequence identity, respectively. This suggests that the Bartonella spp. found in Malaysian bat flies are genetically diverse and can potentially serve as reservoirs for pathogenic Bartonella spp., Competing Interests: The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests:Maizan Mohamed reports equipment, drugs, or supplies and travel were provided by Malaysia Ministry of Higher Education. Shih Keng Loong reports equipment, drugs, or supplies and travel were provided by Malaysia Ministry of Higher Education. Maizan Mohamed, Shih Keng Loong reports a relationship with Malaysia Ministry of Higher Education that includes: funding grants. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

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Aim: Determine the relative influence of geographical distance, environmental differences, and host species composition on the similarity of bat fly species composition. Location: Neotropics. Taxon: Bats (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) and bat flies (Diptera: Streblidae). Methods: Abundance data on bats and ectoparasites were obtained from published studies. The relative influences of environmental variation (annual precipitation, temperature seasonality, elevation, and NDVI), host species composition, and geographic distance on parasite community composition were analysed with Generalized Dissimilarity Modelling and variance partitioning. Additionally, we evaluated the influence of these environmental variables and geographic distance on host species composition. Results: Our model explains 45.3% of the variance in the dissimilarity of bat fly species. Host species composition had the most significant influence on bat fly species composition across communities, followed by environmental effects. Variance partitioning showed that host species composition explained 14.9% and environmental characteristics explained 10.3% of the variance in bat fly species dissimilarity. Geographical distance alone had a negligible effect as it accounted for only 0.007% of the variance in bat fly species composition. Host species composition was mainly influenced by geographic distance (18.0%) and secondarily by environmental variables (9.8%). The most important environmental variables influencing parasite and host species composition were annual precipitation and temperature seasonality, respectively. Main Conclusions: The lack of relationship between geographical distance and bat fly species composition may reflect either the high mobility or the high dispersal capacity of bat flies, or a combination of these. Alternatively, it could reflect a taxonomic artefact. Environmental differences seem to directly affect bat flies, as opposed to affecting them indirectly through their impact on the hosts. Our results support the fundamental role that host species composition plays in determining the species composition of highly host‐specific parasites. However, we argue that host specificity is not the only trait impacting ectoparasite species composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Iheringia. Série Zoologia is the property of Fundacao Zoobotanica do Rio Grande do Sul and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Bat flies (Hippoboscoidea: Nycteribiidae and Streblidae) are obligate hematophagous ectoparasites of bats. We collected streblid bat flies from the New World (México) and the Old World (Uganda), and used metagenomics to identify their viruses. In México, we found méjal virus (Rhabdoviridae; Vesiculovirus), Amate virus (Reoviridae: Orbivirus), and two unclassified viruses of invertebrates. Méjal virus is related to emerging zoonotic encephalitis viruses and to the agriculturally important vesicular stomatitis viruses (VSV). Amate virus and its sister taxon from a bat are most closely related to mosquito- and tick-borne orbiviruses, suggesting a previously unrecognized orbivirus transmission cycle involving bats and bat flies. In Uganda, we found mamucuso virus (Peribunyaviridae: Orthobunyavirus) and two unclassified viruses (a rhabdovirus and an invertebrate virus). Mamucuso virus is related to encephalitic viruses of mammals and to viruses from nycteribiid bat flies and louse flies, suggesting a previously unrecognized orthobunyavirus transmission cycle involving hippoboscoid insects. Bat fly virus transmission may be neither strictly vector-borne nor strictly vertical, with opportunistic feeding by bat flies occasionally leading to zoonotic transmission. Many “bat-associated” viruses, which are ecologically and epidemiologically associated with bats but rarely or never found in bats themselves, may actually be viruses of bat flies or other bat ectoparasites.

Nycteribiids and streblids are obligate hematophagous flies restricted to bats. These flies are widely distributed throughout the Neotropical region, although little is known about their spatial distribution and patterns in parasitic associations in different environments. Studies assessing bat-fly interactions are mostly qualitative, but quantitative studies that allow testing and/or establishing more specific patterns for these interactions are still scarce. Here, we qualitatively and quantitatively assessed the bat-fly interactions in an environmental protection area in northeastern Brazil using prevalence, mean intensity of infestation, aggregation, and abundance indices. We captured 654 bats of 21 species and five families. Only 157 bats (24%) were parasitized by 351 flies of 19 species and eight genera. Among the most representative bat species (n ≥ 15), the host-parasite relationship between the white-lined broad-nosed bat (Platyrrhinus lineatus) and a streblid fly Trichobius angulatus had the highest prevalence (33.3%). The highest mean intensity of infestation recorded was for Trichobius joblingi on the Seba's short-tailed bat (Carollia perspicillata) (2.05 flies per host). The fly with higher values of aggregation was Strebla guajiro (D = 0.98) on C. perspicillata. Ninety-five percent of the fly species were highly host-specific (monoxenous). Regarding the mean abundance of flies, we found no differences between dry and rainy periods. No noticeable pattern for northeastern Brazil was observed when comparing our results with previous studies, except for specificity that was consistently high throughout the region. Our study raises questions about the pattern of fly parasitism on bats and may guide future research on this subject. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transmission of diseases through parasites is a key mechanism in the regulation of plant and animal populations in ecosystems. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the relative effect of the variables that can shape the specificity of host-parasite interactions. Previous studies have found that specialization of antagonistic interactions between fly ectoparasites and bats changes according to forest type, host richness, and roosting ecology of bats. In this study, we tested these hypotheses using data from 48 bat communities. In general, our results support previous findings that bat-fly interactions are specialized, resulting in lower niche overlap among bat flies species. In addition, we found that the specificity of bat-fly interactions is lower in tropical mountain forests and is positively related with the richness of bat host species of each study site. Finally, there was a higher bat flies niche overlap in smaller bat-fly interaction networks recorded in bat roosts in caves. We conclude that the roosting ecology of bats could be a key factor to understand the mechanisms related to the horizontal transmission of ectoparasitic flies among bats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dispersal influences the evolution and adaptation of organisms, but it can be difficult to detect. Host-specific parasites provide information about the dispersal of their hosts and may be valuable for examining host dispersal that does not result in gene flow or that has low signals of gene flow. We examined the population connectivity of the buffy flower bat, Erophylla sezekorni (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae), and its associated obligate ectoparasite, Trichobius frequens (Diptera: Streblidae), across a narrow oceanic channel in The Bahamas that has previously been implicated as a barrier to dispersal in bats. Due to the horizontal transmission of T. frequens, we were able to test the hypothesis that bats are dispersing across this channel, but this dispersal does not result in gene flow, occurs rarely, or started occurring recently. We developed novel microsatellite markers for the family Streblidae in combination with previously developed markers for bats to genotype individuals from 4 islands in The Bahamas. We provide evidence for a single population of the host, E. sezekorni, but 2 populations of its bat flies, potentially indicating a recent reduction of gene flow in E. sezekorni, rare dispersal, or infrequent transportation of bat flies with their hosts. Despite high population differentiation in bat flies indicated by microsatellites, mitochondrial DNA shows no polymorphism, suggesting that bacterial reproductive parasites may be contributing to mitochondrial DNA sweeps. Parasites, including bat flies, provide independent information about their hosts and can be used to test hypotheses of host dispersal that may be difficult to assess using host genetics alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bats can be parasitized by several arthropod groups, including ectoparasitic flies. The high host specificity is a common phenomenon between flies and bats. In recent years, more efforts have been employed to understand how environmental variables can influence richness and parasitic load (PL). However, many gaps still need to be filled to better understand this issue. We analyzed the PL of flies on bats sampled in three environments with different rain volume and vegetation types to verify if PL is correlated with rainfall and if there are differences in the PL on bats within and between environments. Overall, there was no correlation between rainfall and PL in the same environment, nor a difference between the three environments. When tested separately, Seba's short-tailed bats (Carolliaperspicillata (Linnaeus, 1758)) had a difference in prevalence of flies between environments and flat-faced fruit-eating bats (Artibeusplanirostris (Spix, 1823)) had a greater abundance of flies in the rainy season in a semiarid area. There was no difference in PL between male and female bats. Our results suggest that bat–fly interactions are driven by several factors, not only by the amount of rainfall or vegetation, and that different host species may respond differently with no obvious general pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Bats, along with their ectoparasites, harbor a wide diversity of symbiotic and potential pathogenic bacteria. Despite the enormous diversity of bats (181 species), few studies aimed to investigate the bacterial microbiome of Brazilian chiropterans and associated ectoparasites. This study aimed to characterize the bacterial microbiome of non-hematophagous bats and associated Streblidae flies and Macronyssidae and Spinturnicidae mites in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, midwestern Brazil., Methods: Oral and rectal swabs were collected from 30 bats ( Artibeus lituratus [ n  = 13], Artibeus planirostris [ n   =  9], Eptesicus furinalis [ n  = 5], Carollia perspicillata [ n  = 2], and Platyrrhinus lineatus [ n  = 1]). In addition, a total of 58 mites (15 Macronyssidae and 43 Spinturnicidae) and 48 Streblidae bat flies were collected from the captured bats. After DNA extraction and purification, each sample's bacterial composition was analyzed with metagenomic sequencing., Results: The microbiome composition of both oral and rectal bat swab samples showed that Gammaproteobacteria was the most abundant bacterial class. Spiroplasma, Wolbachia and Bartonella represented the most abundant genera in Streblidae flies. While Wolbachia (Alphaproteobacteria) was the most abundant genus found in Spinturnicidae, Arsenophonus (Gammaproteobacteria) was found in high abundance in Macronyssidae mites. In addition to characterizing the microbiome of each sample at the class and genus taxonomic levels, we identified medically significant bacteria able to infect both animals and humans in oral ( Streptococcus and Anaplasma ) and rectal swabs ( Enterobacter , Klebsiella , Escherichia , Enterococcus , Streptococcus ), Macronyssidae ( Anaplasma , Bartonella , Ehrlichia ) and Spinturnicidae ( Anaplasma , Bartonella ) mites as well as Streblidae flies ( Spiroplasma , Bartonella )., Discussion and Conclusion: Besides expanding the knowledge on the bacterial microbiome of non-hematophagous bats and Streblidae flies from Brazil, the present work showed, for the first time, the bacterial community of bat-associated Macronyssidae and Spinturnicidae mites., Competing Interests: GR was employed by Leidos, Inc. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision., (Copyright © 2023 André, Ikeda, Lee, do Amaral, Carvalho, Pinheiro, Torres, de Mello, Rice, Cer, Lourenço, Oliveira, Herrera, Barros-Battesti, Machado, Bishop-Lilly, Dalgard and Dumler.)

Ectoparasites found on bats are known to contain important microbes. However, the viruses hosted by these obligate parasites are understudied. This has led to the near oversight of the potential role of these ectoparasites in virus maintenance and transmission from bats to other interacting species and the environment. Here, we sampled bat ectoparasites parasitizing a diverse selection of bat species in the families Rhinolophidae, Vespertilionidae, Megadermatidae, Hipposideridae and Pteropodidae in Yunnan Province, China. We show that the ectoparasite prevalence was generally higher in male compared to female bats. Most ectoparasites were found to fall within the Nycteribiidae, Spinturnicidae and Streblidae bat ectoparasite families. We subsequently applied a non-biased sequencing of libraries prepared from the pooled ectoparasites, followed by an in-silico virus-centric analysis of the resultant reads. We show that ectoparasites hosted by the sampled families of bats are found to carry, in addition to a diverse set of phages, vertebrate and insect viruses in the families Aliusviridae, Ascoviridae, Chuviridae, Circoviridae, Flaviviridae, Hepadnaviridae, Hepeviridae, Herpesviridae, Iridoviridae, Marseilleviridae, Nairoviridae, Orthomyxoviridae, Parvoviridae, Poxviridae, Reoviridae, Retroviridae, and Rhabdoviridae . We further report a partial Parvovirus VP1/VP2 gene and partial Poxvirus ubiquitin-like gene predicted by two independent next generation sequencing data analysis pipelines. This study describes the natural virome of bat ectoparasites, providing a platform for understanding the role these ectoparasites play in the maintenance and spread of viruses to other animals., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2023 The Author(s).)

Ecological networks represent the energy flow and interactions among the species of an ecological community. Streblidae is a family of bloodsucking flies specialized in parasitizing bats, thus forming an ecological network. The purpose of this study was to investigate the specialization and modularity of a bat fly antagonist ecological network in a tropical dry forest in northern Colombia. Bat hosts were sampled by using mist nets, while bat flies were collected directly from the hosts by using entomological forceps. The network was built with the Bipartite package from R software. The sampling effort resulted in 270 bat flies recorded on 45 host individuals. The network showed a high specialization (= 0.67) and a low connectance (C = 0.30). Paradyschiria parvuloides was the most specialized fly (d = 0.95). The interactions exhibited a high modularity (Q = 0.57), with five modules. This study confirms the high specialization between bats and Streblidae flies, which is influenced by factors such as fidelity to the refuge and habitat, and host abundance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad is the property of Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Instituto de Biologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In Brazil, 124 species of ectoparasites of bats are known from the families Streblidae, Nycteribiidae, and Spinturnicidae. This study aimed to characterize the ectoparasites associated with bats in a restinga habitat in Sergipe, northeastern Brazil. Sampling occurred between October 2016 and September 2017 in the Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural do Caju through the capture of bats, using 10 mist nets. The ectoparasites collected were stored in 70% alcohol and subsequently identified. For the hosts, the parasitological indexes were calculated and, for the most abundant ones, the influences of the sex of the host and of seasonality on these indexes were evaluated. We collected 430 parasites, of which 77.90% belonged to the Streblidae family. The influence of host sex was observed only in terms of the prevalence between Periglischrus iheringi and Artibeus lituratus, with the highest values observed for females. This may be associated with the highest susceptibility of females to parasitism by the greater permanency in the shelter. In terms of the influence of seasonality, only the interaction between Carollia perspicillata and Trichobius joblingi was affected by temperature, with an increase in prevalence rates and mean intensity during the season with lower temperatures. This relationship may be associated with biological differences among parasites species. The present study identified six new species of ectoparasites and the occurrence of ticks on bats for Sergipe, in addition to registering 11 new bat-ectoparasite associations for the state and two for Brazil, contributing to an increase in our knowledge about bat-ectoparasite interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the first list of the ectoparasite insects (Diptera: Streblidae) collected on bats of the Phyllostomidae and Molossidae families, from the AICOM (Important area for bats conservation) denominated Osununú / Teyú Cuaré, in the locality of San Ignacio (Misiones province, Argentina). Trichobius furmani Wenzel was registered for the first time in Argentina, parasitizing Carollia perspicillata L. (Phyllostomidae); this ectoparasite was previously found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay, and Peru. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The family Streblidae comprises a monophyletic group of Hippoboscoidea, hematophagous dipterans that parasitize bats. Bartonella spp. and Rickettsia spp. have been reported in bats sampled in Europe, Africa, Asia, North, Central and South America. However, there are few reports on the Bartonella and Rickettsia bacteria infecting Hippoboscoidea flies and mites. While Spinturnicidae mites are ectoparasites found only in bats, those belonging to the family Macronyssidae comprise mites that also parasitize other mammal species. This study investigates the occurrence and assesses the phylogenetic positioning of Bartonella spp. and Rickettsia spp. found in Streblidae flies and Spinturnicidae and Macronyssidae mites collected from bats captured in Brazil. From May 2011 to April 2012 and September 2013 to December 2014, 400 Streblidae flies, 100 Macronyssidaes, and 100 Spinturnicidae mites were collected from bats captured in two sites in northeastern Nova Iguaçu, Rio de Janeiro, southeastern Brazil. Forty (19.8%) out of 202 Streblidae flies were positive for Bartonella spp. in qPCR assays based on the nuoG gene. Among the flies positive for the bacterium, six (18%) were Paratrichobius longicrus, seven (29%) Strebla guajiro, two (40%) Aspidoptera phyllostomatis, five (11%) Aspidoptera falcata, one (10%) Trichobius anducei, one (25%) Megistopoda aranea, and 18 (32%) Trichobius joblingi, and collected from bats of the following species: Artibeus lituratus, Carollia perspicillata, Artibeus planirostris, Sturnira lilium, and Artibeus obscurus. Six sequences were obtained for Bartonella (nuoG [n = 2], gltA [n = 2], rpoB [n = 1], ribC = 1]). The phylogenetic analysis based on gltA (750pb) gene showed that the Bartonella sequences clustered with Bartonella genotypes detected in bats and ectoparasites previously sampled in Latin America, including Brazil. Only one sample (0.49%) of the species Trichobius joblingi collected from a specimen of Carollia perspicillata was positive for Rickettsia sp. in cPCR based on the gltA gene (401bp). This sequence was clustered with a ‘Candidatus Rickettsia andaenae" genotype detected in an Amblyomma parvum tick collected from a rodent in the southern region of Brazilian Pantanal. The sampled Macronyssidae and Spinturnicidae mites were negative for Bartonella spp. and Rickettsia spp. This study demonstrated the first occurrence of Bartonella spp. and Rickettsia spp. DNA in Streblidae flies collected from bats in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seasonality of climate promotes differences in abundance and species composition of parasites, affecting host-parasite interactions. Studies have reported seasonal variation in bat-flies, which are obligate bat ectoparasites. We characterized the bat-fly load of three insectivores [Pteronotus davyi (Gray), Pteronotus parnellii (Gray) and Pteronotus personatus (Wagner)] and one nectarivorous [Leptonycteris yerbabuenae (Martínez and Villa-R.)] bat species in a tropical dry forest to test the existence of seasonality in response to the availability of resources during the wet and dry seasons. We collected 3710 bat-fly specimens belonging to six species and two genera from 497 bats. Most of the ectoparasite load parameters examined (mean abundance, mean intensity, richness, etc.), including comparisons among reproductive conditions and sex of the host, were similar in both seasons. Prevalence was the parameter that varied the most between seasons. The six bat-fly species were found in all bat species except P. personatus. The latter species and L. yerbabuenae had four and five bat-fly species in the wet and dry seasons, respectively. This study provides significant information of ectoparasites ecology in relation to seasonality, contributes to the understanding of host-parasite relationships in tropical dry forests and discusses the relevance of the abiotic and biotic factors that could impact host-parasite interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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