Nycteribiidae
Encyclopedia
Nycteribiidae of the true fly
superfamily
Hippoboscoidea
are known as "bat flies", together with their close relatives the Streblidae
. As the latter do not seem to be a monophyletic group, it is conceivable to unite all bat flies in a single family
.
They are flattened, spiderlike flies without eyes or wings, and are seldom encountered by general collectors, as they almost never leave the bodies of their hosts. Both males and females take blood meals, thus they qualify as real parasites. Most species are highly host-specific. The family is primarily found in the Old World
tropics
; a few of the 274 known species
occur in the Neotropics and in Europe
.
1087: 33–38. PDF abstract and first page text (2002): Records of Streblidae and Nycteribiidae (Diptera) on vespertilionid bats (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from São Paulo State, Brazil. Journal of the New York Entomological Society 110(3): 402-404. HTML abstract (2006): A faunal survey of nycteribiid flies (Diptera: Nycteribiidae) associated with bats in Paraguay. Zootaxa
1220: 35-46. PDF fulltext (2007): Catalogue of American Nycteribiidae (Diptera, Hippoboscoidea). Revista Brasileira de Entomologia 51(2): 142-159. PDF fulltext
Diptera
Diptera , or true flies, is the order of insects possessing only a single pair of wings on the mesothorax; the metathorax bears a pair of drumstick like structures called the halteres, the remnants of the hind wings. It is a large order, containing an estimated 240,000 species, although under half...
superfamily
Taxonomic rank
In biological classification, rank is the level in a taxonomic hierarchy. Examples of taxonomic ranks are species, genus, family, and class. Each rank subsumes under it a number of less general categories...
Hippoboscoidea
Hippoboscoidea
Hippoboscoidea is a superfamily of Calyptratae. The flies in this superfamily are blood-feeding obligate parasites of their hosts. Five families are often placed here:* Glossinidae* Hippoboscidae...
are known as "bat flies", together with their close relatives the Streblidae
Streblidae
Streblidae are flies in the superfamily Hippoboscoidea, and together with their relatives the Nycteribiidae are known as "bat flies". They are winged or wingless ectoparasites of bats, and often have long legs...
. As the latter do not seem to be a monophyletic group, it is conceivable to unite all bat flies in a single family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
.
They are flattened, spiderlike flies without eyes or wings, and are seldom encountered by general collectors, as they almost never leave the bodies of their hosts. Both males and females take blood meals, thus they qualify as real parasites. Most species are highly host-specific. The family is primarily found in the Old World
Old World
The Old World consists of those parts of the world known to classical antiquity and the European Middle Ages. It is used in the context of, and contrast with, the "New World" ....
tropics
Tropics
The tropics is a region of the Earth surrounding the Equator. It is limited in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere at S; these latitudes correspond to the axial tilt of the Earth...
; a few of the 274 known species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
occur in the Neotropics and in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
Systematics
- Subfamily Archinycteribiinae Maa, 1975
- Genus Archinycteribia SpeiserPaul Gustav Eduard SpeiserPaul Gustav Eduard Speiser was a German entomologist who specialised in Diptera.He was first a physician then a Medizinalrat, a medical adviser to a district.He worked on world Diptera, especially...
, 1901 - Subfamily Cyclopodiinae Maa, 1965
- Genus Cyclopodia KolenatiFriedrich August Rudolph KolenatiFriedrich August Rudolph Kolenati was a Czech-German botanist and zoologist active primarily in Prague and Brno....
, 1863
-
-
- Subgenus Cyclopodia KolenatiFriedrich August Rudolph KolenatiFriedrich August Rudolph Kolenati was a Czech-German botanist and zoologist active primarily in Prague and Brno....
, 1863- Genus Dipseliopoda TheodorOskar TheodorOskar Theodor was an Israeli entomologist who specialised in Diptera.Born in Königsberg, Eastern Prussia he came to pre-Israel...
, 1955 - Genus Eucampsipoda KolenatiFriedrich August Rudolph KolenatiFriedrich August Rudolph Kolenati was a Czech-German botanist and zoologist active primarily in Prague and Brno....
, 1857 - Genus Leptocyclopodia TheodorOskar TheodorOskar Theodor was an Israeli entomologist who specialised in Diptera.Born in Königsberg, Eastern Prussia he came to pre-Israel...
, 1959
- Genus Dipseliopoda Theodor
- Subgenus Leptocyclopodia TheodorOskar TheodorOskar Theodor was an Israeli entomologist who specialised in Diptera.Born in Königsberg, Eastern Prussia he came to pre-Israel...
, 1959 - Subgenus Oncoposthia Maa, 1966
- Subfamily Nycteribiinae WestwoodJohn Obadiah WestwoodJohn Obadiah Westwood was an English entomologist and archaeologist also noted for his artistic talents.Born in Sheffield, he studied to be a lawyer but abandoned that for his scientific interests....
, 1835 - Genus BasiliaBasilia (fly)Basilia is a genus of bat fly in the Nycteribiidae family. Species within this genus are:*Basilia afghanica*Basilia aitkeni*Basilia anceps*Basilia anomala*Basilia ansifera*Basilia antrozoi*Basilia barbarae...
Miranda Ribeiro, 1903
- Subfamily Nycteribiinae Westwood
- Subgenus Basilia Miranda Ribeiro, 1903
- Subgenus Conotibia TheodorOskar TheodorOskar Theodor was an Israeli entomologist who specialised in Diptera.Born in Königsberg, Eastern Prussia he came to pre-Israel...
, 1967 - Subgenus Paracyclopodia Scott, 1917
- Subgenus Tripselia Scott, 1917
- Genus Hershkovitzia Guimarães & d'Andretta, 1956
- Genus Nycteribia LatreillePierre André LatreillePierre André Latreille was a French zoologist, specialising in arthropods. Having trained as a Roman Catholic priest before the French Revolution, Latreille was imprisoned, and only regained his freedom after recognising a rare species he found in the prison, Necrobia ruficollis...
, 1796
- Subgenus Acrocholidia KolenatiFriedrich August Rudolph KolenatiFriedrich August Rudolph Kolenati was a Czech-German botanist and zoologist active primarily in Prague and Brno....
, 1857 - Subgenus Nycteribia LatreillePierre André LatreillePierre André Latreille was a French zoologist, specialising in arthropods. Having trained as a Roman Catholic priest before the French Revolution, Latreille was imprisoned, and only regained his freedom after recognising a rare species he found in the prison, Necrobia ruficollis...
, 1796- Genus Penicillidia KolenatiFriedrich August Rudolph KolenatiFriedrich August Rudolph Kolenati was a Czech-German botanist and zoologist active primarily in Prague and Brno....
, 1863
- Genus Penicillidia Kolenati
- Subgenus Eremoctenia Scott, 1917
- Subgenus Penicillidia KolenatiFriedrich August Rudolph KolenatiFriedrich August Rudolph Kolenati was a Czech-German botanist and zoologist active primarily in Prague and Brno....
, 1863- Genus Phthiridium Hermann, 1804
- Genus Stereomyia TheodorOskar TheodorOskar Theodor was an Israeli entomologist who specialised in Diptera.Born in Königsberg, Eastern Prussia he came to pre-Israel...
, 1967
- Subgenus Cyclopodia Kolenati
-
Further reading
(2005): Bat flies (Diptera: Streblidae, Nycteribiidae) parasitic on bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) at Parque Estadual da Cantareira, São Paulo, Brazil: parasitism rates and host-parasite associations. Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz 100(1): 25-32. PDF fulltext (2005): Basilia quadrosae sp. nov. (Diptera: Nycteribiidae), member of the ferruginea group, from southern Brazil. ZootaxaZootaxa
Zootaxa is a peer-reviewed scientific journal for animal taxonomists. It is published by Magnolia Press . The journal was established by Zhi-Qiang Zhang in 2001 and new issues are published multiple times a week...
1087: 33–38. PDF abstract and first page text (2002): Records of Streblidae and Nycteribiidae (Diptera) on vespertilionid bats (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from São Paulo State, Brazil. Journal of the New York Entomological Society 110(3): 402-404. HTML abstract (2006): A faunal survey of nycteribiid flies (Diptera: Nycteribiidae) associated with bats in Paraguay. Zootaxa
Zootaxa
Zootaxa is a peer-reviewed scientific journal for animal taxonomists. It is published by Magnolia Press . The journal was established by Zhi-Qiang Zhang in 2001 and new issues are published multiple times a week...
1220: 35-46. PDF fulltext (2007): Catalogue of American Nycteribiidae (Diptera, Hippoboscoidea). Revista Brasileira de Entomologia 51(2): 142-159. PDF fulltext
External links
- Diptera.info Images
- Nycteribiidae page at British Insects: Diptera Families (Contains links to illustrations)