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Grooming behavior is evolved in animals in response to the costs associated with ectoparasites. In this study, ecotparasite densities and grooming behavior-including licking and scratching-of wild-caught lesser bamboo bat (Tylonycteris pachypus) and greater bamboo bat (T. robustula) were analyzed. The results indicated that both the frequencies and durations of licking were higher than those of scratching in both bat species, though T. pachypus licked more but scratched less than T. robustula. There were no difference in the durations of licking and scratching between the two bat species, and the durations and frequencies of grooming behavior of the two bat species were irrelevant with ectoparasite densities. These findings suggest that the grooming behavior of T. pachypus and T. robustula might be modulated by both the central control (programmed grooming) model and the peripheral stimulation (stimulus driven) model.

Correlations of two species of gamasid mites (Macronyssus pararadovskyi and M. radovskyi) and their bat hosts (Tylonycteris pachypus and T. robustula) were studied by field surveys and indoor behavioral experiments. The wild data indicated that mite load was positively correlated with body condition index of female T. pachypus hosts (Spearman: r (s)=0.55, P<0.01, n=24). Whereas, mite loads had no correlation with body condition indexes of male T. pachypus and all T. robustula hosts (P>0.05). Indoor original host infection showed that mites preferred male T. pachypus and T. robustula hosts. The infection percentages on male hosts were significantly higher than those on female hosts [T. pachypus: male (58±12)%, female (42±12)%, (t=-3.6, df=31, P<0.01); T. robustula: male (63±11)%, female (37±11)%, (t=-6.1, df=26, P<0.001)]. Using M. pararadovskyi (original host T. pachypus) to across infect T. pachypus and T. robustula, we found that mites significantly preferred the original host (t=9.1, df=29, P<0.001). The infection percentages of T. pachypus, and T. robustula were (71±13)% and (29±13)%, respectively. Our results indicated that mite loads of the two bat species were not correlated with body condition indexes of hosts. However, these mites presented different host sexual preferences, and the mites of T. pachypus presented specific host species preferences.

One male bat was collected in a cave in Cuibi Hill (N: 21 degree 53', E: 101 degree 18', H: 683 m a.s.l.), Menglun Town, Mengla County, Yunnan Province, on November 26, 2006. This bat is of medium body size, with 60.7 mm forearm and 21.4 g body mass. Its ears are large ovals and joined medially to the forehead at about 15% of the height of inner margin. The tragus of each ear is slender and distinctly bifid. The noseleaf is simple, and the posterior noseleaf is oval with obtuse tip and convex sides, a significant longitudinal ridge laying middle, which connects to intermediate noseleaf at the base. Intermediate noseleaf presents triangle with a W-shaped tip. Frontal noseleaf is horseshoe shape and attached directly to the muzzle. The tail is absent, and the second finger of each wing has only one phalanx. There are no upper incisors, Pm3 and Pm3. The upper canine has an anterior and a large posterior basal cusps. This bat is identified as lesser false vampire, Megaderma spasma, which is a new record of China. Its external and craniodental measurements were presented and compared with those of M. lyra. The specimen is preserved in Guangdong Entomological Institute.