Search

The Neotropical genus Noctiliostrebla Wenzel (Diptera: Streblidae) is revised after examination of the types of all nominal species, and 11 species are recognized. Seven new species are described, and a lectotype is designated for Lipoptena dubia Rudow. Resulting information on species distributions and host records can be summarized as follows: Noctiliostrebla dubia (Rudow) is restricted to the Amazon region and is a parasite of Noctilio leporinus (Linnaeus) (Chiroptera: Noctilionidae); Noctiliostrebla traubi Wenzel is restricted to Central America and northern South America, being the only species of the genus parasitizing N. leporinus in Central America; the distribution ranges of N. maai Wenzel and N. traubi are similar, but the host of N. maai is N. albiventris Desmarest; Noctiliostrebla aitkeni Wenzel is restricted to northern South America and has only been recorded as parasitizing N. leporinus; Noctiliostrebla ecuadorensis sp. n. occurs only in Ecuador, on N. albiventris; Noctiliostrebla guerreroi sp. n. has only been recorded from the Amazon region on N. albiventris; Noctiliostrebla falsispina sp. n. is restricted to south-central South America and is a parasite of N. leporinus; the distributions of N. lamasi sp. n. and N. falsispina sp. n. are similar, and the two species usually co-occur on N. leporinus; Noctiliostrebla morena sp. n. has a similar distribution to those of N. falsispina sp. n. and N. lamasi sp. n., but parasitizes N. albiventris; Noctiliostrebla pantaneira sp. n. has a similar distribution to N. morena sp. n. and usually co-occurs with it on N. albiventris; Noctiliostrebla caissara sp. n. is restricted to the southeastern coast of South America and is a parasite of N. leporinus. All species are included in a key and illustrated.

The Calyptratae, one of the most species-rich fly clades, only originated and diversified after the Cretaceous-Palaeogene extinction event and yet exhibit high species diversity and a diverse array of life history strategies including predation, phytophagy, saprophagy, haematophagy and parasitism. We present the first phylogenomic analysis of calyptrate relationships. The analysis is based on 40 species representing all calyptrate families and on nucleotide and amino acid data for 1456 single-copy protein-coding genes obtained from shotgun sequencing of transcriptomes. Topologies are overall well resolved, robust and largely congruent across trees obtained with different approaches (maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, coalescent-based species tree, four-cluster likelihood mapping). Many nodes have 100% bootstrap and jackknife support, but the true support varies by more than one order of magnitude [Bremer support from 3 to 3427; random addition concatenation analysis (RADICAL) gene concatenation size from 10 to 1456]. Analyses of a Dayhoff-6 recoded amino acid dataset also support the robustness of many clades. The backbone topology Hippoboscoidea+(Fanniidae+(Muscidae+((Anthomyiidae-Scathophagidae)+Oestroidea))) is strongly supported and most families are monophyletic (exceptions: Anthomyiidae and Calliphoridae). The monotypic Ulurumyiidae is either alone or together with Mesembrinellidae as the sister group to the rest of Oestroidea. The Sarcophagidae are sister to Mystacinobiidae+Oestridae. Polleniinae emerge as sister group to Tachinidae and the monophyly of the clade Calliphorinae+Luciliinae is well supported, but the phylogenomic data cannot confidently place the remaining blowfly subfamilies (Helicoboscinae, Ameniinae, Chrysomyinae). Compared to hypotheses from the Sanger sequencing era, many clades within the muscoid grade are congruent but now have much higher support. Within much of Oestroidea, Sanger era and phylogenomic data struggle equally with regard to finding well-supported hypotheses.

The Hippoboscoidea (Families Hippoboscidae, Streblidae, and Nycteribiidae) are parasitic true flies (Order: Diptera) that feed on the blood. The Streblidae, and Nycteribiidae are ectoparasites of bats and contain the majority of species with the Hippoboscidae known from birds and mammals other than bats. Several species of Hippoboscidae including Melophagus ovinus and Hippobosca spp. are ectoparsites of domestic animals and livestock. Melophagus ovinus causes significant direct damage to sheep, but is not a major vector of known pathogens. As with most blood feeding arthropods the Hippoboscoidea are vectors of pathogens but since most species feed on wildlife they are less studied than those that bite humans or domestic animals.

Diptera belonging to the families Nycteribiidae and Streblidae are hematophagous ectoparasites, exclusively of bats. The Amapá State is located in the North Region of Brazil. The Amapá represents one of with the lowest rates of deforestation in the country, with approximately 80% of the territory preserved. Within the State, there are conservation units, Floresta Nacional do Amapá (FNA), Parque Nacional Montanhas do Tumucumaque (PNMT) and Reserva de desenvolvimento Sustentável do Rio Iratapurú (RDSI). These areas represent priority areas for the Conservation of Amazonian Biodiversity. Recently in Amapá studied on the diversity and distribution of bats, however, there are no records of associated arthropod ectoparasites. Therefore, the objective was to describe the pattern of association of Nycteribiidae and Streblidae species on bats in three protected areas of Amapá. Bats were collected through mist nets, where each host had its body visually revised and the Diptera collected were identified through a specific bibliography. One thousand and eighty- six individuals of bats flies were identified, distributed in 52 species (Streblidae = 49 and Nycteribiidae = three). Among the three infracommunities, the PNMT infracommunities was the largest found with abundance and richness of bats flies. All species found, represent new occurrences for the Amapá, being these, 18 new records for the North Region and seven new records for Brazil. Resumo: Dípteros pertencentes as famílias Nycteribiidae e Streblidae são ectoparasitos hematófagos, sendo exclusivamente de morcegos. O estado do Amapá localiza-se na região Norte do Brasil e representa um dos estados com as menores taxas de desmatamento do país, com aproximadamente 80% do território preservado. Dentro do Estado, existem as unidades de conservação, a Floresta Nacional do Amapá (FNA), o Parque Nacional Montanhas do Tumucumaque (PNMT) e a Reserva de Desenvolvimento Sustentável do Rio Iratapurú (RDS) que representam áreas prioritárias para a Conservação da Biodiversidade da Amazônia. Estudos sobre a diversidade e a distribuição de morcegos têm sido estudada recentemente no Amapá, no entanto, não existem registros de artrópodes ectoparasitos associados. Sendo assim, o objetivo foi descrever padrão de associação das espécies de Nycteribiidae e Streblidae sobre morcegos em três unidades de conservação do Amapá. Os morcegos foram coletados por meio de redes de neblina, onde cada hospedeiro teve seu corpo revisado visualmente e os dípteros coletados foram identificados através de bibliografia específica. Foram identificados 1086 indivíduos de moscas ectoparasitas, distribuídos em 52 espécies (Streblidae = 49 e Nycteribiidae = três). Entre as três infracomunidades, a infracomunidade de PNMT foi a maior encontrada tanto com relação a abundancia como em riqueza de dípteros ectoparasitas. Todas as espécies encontradas, representam novas ocorrências para o Estado do Amapá, sendo essas, 18 novos registros para a Região Norte e sete novos registros para o Brasil.

One of the largest gaps in the knowledge of ectoparasitic flies of the families Nycteribiidae and Streblidae in Brazil is the northeastern region, where most states do not have any record. Here, we present the first records of those two bat fly families for the state of Paraíba. We recorded a total of 10 species of five genera parasitizing eight bat species of four families. Trichobius diphyllae Wenzel (Streblidae) was the most abundant species, found parasitizing Diphylla ecaudata (Phyllostomidae), and T. dugesioides dugesioides Wenzel, the second, found on Trachops cirrhosus (Phyllostomidae). Three species were recorded for the first time in northeastern Brazil and seven species are new for the semi-arid Caatinga. We collected T. galei Wenzel and T. pallidus (Curran) on Natalus macrourus (Natalidae) and Furipterus horrens (Furipteridae), respectively, two endangered bat species, and the species-specific relationship with their hosts points out to some degree of vulnerability. In addition, we present information on host-parasite relationship, and data that extend the known geographic distribution of some species.

The complete mitochondrial genome (15,573 bp) of an understudied sheep parasite Melophagus ovinus was sequenced and characterized. Its organization and characteristics, including the size, structure, gene order, start/stop codon usage and gene overlaps, are largely typical for Diptera. It exhibits very high A + T bias (81%). Posterior probability values in the inferred phylogenetic dendrogram were very high, but Oestroidea and Muscoidea superfamilies were both paraphyletic. The sequence was nested within the Oestridae clade, thus also rendering the family paraphyletic. A larger number of Hippoboscoidea mitogenomes will have to be available to achieve a better phylogenetic resolution.

Obligate hematophagous ectoparasitic flies of the superfamily Hippoboscoidea are distributed worldwide, but their role as vectors and reservoirs of viruses remains understudied. We examined hippoboscoid bat flies (family Nycteribiidae) parasitizing Angolan soft-furred fruit bats (Lissonycteris angolensis ruwenzorii) from Bundibugyo District, Uganda. Using metagenomic methods, we detected 21 variants of the rhabdovirid genus Ledantevirus, which contains medically important &ldquo, bat-associated&rdquo, viruses. These 21 viruses, representing at least two divergent viral lineages, infected 26 bat flies from 8 bats in a single roost. Cophylogenetic analyses of viruses and bat flies resulted in strong evidence of virus-host codivergence, indicating vertical transmission of bat fly ledanteviruses. Examination of oral swabs from bats revealed ledantevirus RNA in the saliva of 1 out of 11 bats, with no evidence of insect genetic material in the mouth of this bat. These data demonstrate that bat flies can harbor diverse ledanteviruses even in a single roost and that the predominant mode of transmission is likely vertical (among bat flies), but that bats can become infected and shed viruses orally. In conclusion, bat flies may serve as ectoparasitic reservoirs of &ldquo, viruses that only transiently or sporadically infect bats.

We assessed the relationship between bat fly parasitism and habitat degradation. We used mist nets to capture 522 individuals of Carollia perspicillata and 429 individuals from eight fly species in the Brazilian Cerrado. Specimens were captured in degraded areas surrounding protected areas and within the protected areas. Trichobius joblingi was the most frequent parasite of Carollia perspicillata; consequently, it was analyzed in greater detail. Sex and age were not critical factors for parasitism. A robust anthropogenic influence was observed; unexpectedly, a higher prevalence and abundance of bat flies were observed in preserved areas. Avaliamos a relação entre parasitismo de moscas ectoparasitas de morcegos e degradação do habitat. Com redes de neblina instaladas no Cerrado, capturamos 522 indivíduos de C. perspicillata e 429 indivíduos de oito espécies de Streblidae. As capturas foram realizadas em áreas protegidas e em áreas degradadas nos seus arredores. Trichobius joblingi era altamente representativa em Carollia perspicillata; consequentemente, esta espécie foi analisada com mais detalhe. Apesar de sexo e idade não serem fatores críticos para prevalência e intensidade de infestação, há uma forte influência antropogênica; inesperadamente, a maior prevalência e abundância de moscas está nas áreas preservadas.

Background Melophagus ovinus (sheep ked) is a blood-feeding ectoparasite that belongs to the family Hippoboscidae (Diptera: Hippoboscoidea) and mainly parasitizes sheep. The life-cycle of M. ovinus consists of three stages: larva, pupa and adult. It has a worldwide distribution and has been found in four provinces of China, especially South Xinjiang. In addition to causing direct damage to animal hosts, M. ovinus serves as a vector for disease transmission. In this study, our aim was to investigate the presence of Anaplasma spp. in pupal and adult M. ovinus. Methods A total of 93 specimens (including eight pupal specimens) of M. ovinus collected in South Xinjiang were selected for isolation of genomic DNA, followed by PCR amplification and sequencing of the msp4 gene of Anaplasma spp. The sequences were analyzed in MEGA 7.0 software and via online BLAST. Results PCR and sequencing results showed that all the specimens collected in 2013 were free of Anaplasma spp., whereas three and 25 specimens (including five pupal specimens) collected in 2016 and 2017, respectively, tested positive for Anaplasma spp. The analysis of 24 msp4 gene sequences (from four pupal specimens) confirmed the presence of A. ovis in M. ovinus specimens collected in South Xinjiang, China. The detected A. ovis isolates belong to Genotypes II and III. Conclusions To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the detection of A. ovis DNA in pupal M. ovinus, confirming the vertical transmission of A. ovis in M. ovinus and the potential of M. ovinus to serve as a vector for A. ovis.

The sheep ked Melophagus ovinus is mainly found in Europe, Northwestern Africa, and Asia. Although M. ovinus is an important ectoparasite of sheep in many countries, the population genetics, molecular biology, and systematics of this ectoparasite remain poorly understood. Herein, we determined the mitochondrial (mt) genome of M. ovinus from Gansu Province, China (MOG) and compared with that of M. ovinus Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China (MOX). The mt genome sequence (15,044 bp) of M. ovinus MOG was significantly shorter (529 bp) than M. ovinus MOX. Nucleotide sequence difference in the whole mt genome except for non-coding region was 0.37% between M. ovinus MOG and MOX. For the 13 protein-coding genes, comparison revealed sequence divergences at both the nucleotide (0-1.1%) and amino acid (0-0.59%) levels between M. ovinus MOG and MOX, respectively. Interestingly, the cox1 gene of M. ovinus MOX is predicted to employ unusual mt start codons AAA, which has not been predicted previously for any parasite genome. Phylogenetic analyses showed that M. ovinus (Hippoboscoidea) is related to the superfamilies Oestroidea + Muscoidea. Our results have also indicated the paraphylies of the four families (Anthomyiidae, Calliphoridae, Muscidae, and Oestridae) and two superfamilies (Oestroidea and Muscoidea). This mt genome of M. ovinus provides useful molecular markers for studies into the population genetics, molecular biology, and systematics of this ectoparasite.

Submitted by Renan Bressianini do Amaral null (renan.amaral@yahoo.com.br) on 2018-03-22T10:21:41Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação_Renan_Bressianini_do_Amaral.pdf: 3486446 bytes, checksum: e5ed9f21e12655ff3bf5b939acdfd4c6 (MD5) Approved for entry into archive by Alexandra Maria Donadon Lusser Segali null (alexmar@fcav.unesp.br) on 2018-03-22T10:58:45Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 amaral_rb_me_jabo.pdf: 3486446 bytes, checksum: e5ed9f21e12655ff3bf5b939acdfd4c6 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2018-03-22T10:58:45Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 amaral_rb_me_jabo.pdf: 3486446 bytes, checksum: e5ed9f21e12655ff3bf5b939acdfd4c6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-02-21 Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Dentre os ectoparasitas encontrados em morcegos, destacam-se as mocas Streblidae e ácaros Macronyssidae e e Spinturnicidae. A família Streblidae compreende um grupo monofilético de dípteros hematófagos Hippoboscoidea que parasitam morcegos. Enquanto ácaros da família Spinturnicidae são ectoparasitas exclusivos de quirópteros, aqueles da família Macronyssidae também parasitam outras espécies de mamíferos. Embora a ocorrência de Bartonella spp. tenha sido relatada em morcegos amostrados na Europa, África, Ásia e América Central e do Sul, poucos são os estudos acerca da ocorrência e diversidade genética de Bartonella spp. em moscas Hippoboscoidea e ácaros parasitas de quirópteros. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo investigar a ocorrência e traçar inferências filogenéticas de Bartonella spp. em moscas Streblidae e ácaros de Spinturnicidae e Macronyssidae parasitas de morcegos no Brasil. Entre maio de 2011 a abril de 2012 e setembro de 2013 a dezembro de 2014, 404 moscas de Streblidae, 100 Macronyssidaes e 100 ácaros de Spinturnicidae foram coletadas de duas localidades no município de Nova Iguaçu, estado do Rio de Janeiro, no sudeste do Brasil. Todos os 20 pools de ácaros e 202 (50%) mostraram-se positivos na PCR para o gene endógeno cox-1 de invertebrados. Quarenta (19,8%) de 202 moscas Streblidae foram positivas para Bartonella spp. em ensaios de qPCR baseados no gene nuoG. : 6/32 (18%) Paratrichobius longicrus, 7/24 (29%) Strebla guajiro, 2/5 (40%) Aspidoptera phyllostomatis, 5/43 (11%) Aspidoptera falcata, 1/10 (10%) Trichobius anducei, 1/4 (25%) Megistopoda aranea e 18/55 (32%) Trichobius joblingi, coletados das seguintes espécies: Artibeus lituratus, Carollia perspicillata, Artibeus planirostris, Sturnira lilium, Artibeus obscurus. Foram obtidas seis sequências para Bartonella (nuoG [n = 2], gltA [n = 2], rpoB [n = 1], ribC [= 1]). Nenhum dos ácaros Macronyssidae e Spinturnicidae amostrados mostrou-se positivo para Bartonella spp. As análises filogenéticas das sequências, suportadas pela baixa identidade pelo BLAST, sugerem a circulação de mais de um genótipo/espécie de Bartonella em moscas da família Streblidae no Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, os quais mostraram-se filogeneticamente próximos àqueles previamente detectados em morcegos e roedores na América, e em ruminantes na Europa. Tal fato evidenciando um possível intercâmbio de espécies de Bartonella entre hospedeiros vertebrados pertencentes às ordens Chiroptera, Rodentia e Artiodactyla. Among the ectoparasites found in bats, stand out Streblidae flies and Macronyssidae and Spinturnicidae mites. The Streblidae family comprises a monophyletic group of Hippoboscoidea hematophagous dipterans that parasitize bats. While mites of the Spinturnicidae family are ectoparasites unique to chiropterans, those of the Macronyssidae family also parasitize other species of mammals. Although the occurrence of Bartonella spp. has been reported in bats sampled in Europe, Africa, Asia and Central and South America, there are few studies on the occurrence and genetic diversity of Bartonella spp. in Hippoboscoidea flies and mites parasites of bats. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence and perform phylogenetic inferences of Bartonella spp. in Streblidae flies and Spinturnicidae and Macronyssidae mites parasites of bats in Brazil. Between May 2011 to April 2012 and September 2013 to December 2014, 404 Streblidae flies, 100 Macronyssidae and 100 Spinturnicidae mites were collected from two locations in the district of Nova Iguaçu, state of Rio de Janeiro, in southeastern Brazil. All 20 mite pools and 202 (50%) Streblidae flies showed to be positive in PCR assays targeting cox-1 gene. Forty (19.8%) of 202 Streblidae flies were positive for Bartonella spp. in qPCR assays based on the nuoG gene: Paratrichobius longicrus, 7/24 (29%) Strebla guajiro, 2/5 (40%) Aspidoptera phyllostomatis, 5/43 (11%) Aspidoptera falcata, 1/10 (10%) Trichobius anducei, 1/4 (25%) Megistopoda aranea and 18/55 (32%) Trichobius joblingi, collected from the following species: Artibeus lituratus, Carollia perspicillata, Artibeus planirostris, Sturnira lilium, Artibeus obscurus. Six Bartonella sequences were obtained (nuoG [n=2], gltA [n=2], rpoB [n=1], ribC [n=1]). None of the sampled Macronyssidae and Spinturnicidae mites were positive for Bartonella spp. Phylogenetic analyzes of the sequences, supported by low BLAST identity, suggest the circulation of more than one Bartonella genotype/species in family Streblidae flies in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which were shown to be phylogenetically close to those previously detected in bats and rodents in America, and in ruminants in Europe. This fact evidences a possible interchange of Bartonella species among vertebrate hosts belonging to the orders Chiroptera, Rodentia and Artiodactyla. 2016/12574-0

Made available in DSpace on 2018-12-11T17:37:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2018-06-01 Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) 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. Laboratory of Immunoparasitology Department of Veterinary Pathology School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Agricultural and Livestock Microbiology Graduation Program School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Laboratory of Parasite Arthropods Department of Animal Parasitology Institute of Veterinary Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro–UFRRJ Laboratory of Immunoparasitology Department of Veterinary Pathology School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Agricultural and Livestock Microbiology Graduation Program School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) CNPq: 302420/ 2017-7

Studies on the parasitology of ectoparasitic bat flies are scarce, and they are needed to identify patterns in parasitism. Hence, in the present study, we assessed community composition, prevalence, average infestation intensity, and specificity in the fly-bat associations in Brazilian tropical dry forests. In order to do that, we used the parasitological indices known as prevalence and average infestation intensity, along with an index of host specificity. We collected 1098 bat flies of 38 species. Five of the associations found are new to Brazil, 9 are new to southeastern Brazil, and 10 are new to science. Average infestation intensity varied from 1 to 9 and prevalence 0 to 100 %. In terms of specificity, 76 % of the bat flies were associated to a single host (monoxenic). These results highlight the low capacity of bat flies to survive on a not usual host especially due to an immunological incompatibility between parasites and hosts and dispersal barriers.

Here we record the occurrence of 38 species, including 30 species of Streblidae and eight species of Nycteribiidae. Of these, 12 are new records for the Distrito Federal, three are new for the Cerrado, and one, Trichobius johnsonae Wenzel, 1966 is the first record from Brazil. We also recorded a yet undescribed species of Basilia from the district.

We described infracommunities, prevalence and mean intensity of infestation of ecotoparasite flies (Nycteribiidae and Streblidae) on bats in an ecotone area of Cerrado as predominant vegetation, with influence of Atlantic Forest, in the southeast of Mato Grosso do Sul. In 36 sampling nights between April 2015 and August 2016 (23,328 m².h), we captured 17 bat species, of which ten were infested, and 14 species of fly. The most abundant bats were the phyllostomids Artibeus planirostris (Spix, 1823), Glossophaga soricina (Pallas, 1776) and Carollia perspicillata (Linnaeus, 1758) and the most abundant flies were the streblids Trichobius longipes (Rudow, 1871), T. joblingi Wenzel, 1966 and Megistopoda aranea (Coquillett, 1899). Phyllostomus hastatus (Pallas, 1767) was the bat species that presented the highest infestation rate. Platyrrhinus lineatus (É. Geoffroy, 1810) and Desmodus rotundus (É. Geoffroy, 1810) were not infested. Besides that, the frequency of bats that were infested by a single species of fly was higher than the frequency of bats infested for two or more, and it may be a pattern. RESUMO Descrevemos infracomunidades, prevalência e intensidade média de infestação de moscas ectoparasitas (Nycteribiidae e Streblidae) sobre morcegos numa área de Cerrado como vegetação predominante, com influência de Mata Atlântica, no sudeste de Mato Grosso do Sul. Após 36 noites de coleta entre abril de 2015 e agosto de 2016 (23.328 m².h), capturamos 17 espécies de morcegos, das quais dez estavam infestadas, e 14 espécies de moscas. Os morcegos mais abundantes foram os filostomídeos Artibeus planirostris (Spix, 1823), Glossophaga soricina (Pallas, 1776) e Carollia perspicillata (Linnaeus, 1758) e as moscas mais abundantes foram as estréblidas Trichobius longipes (Rudow, 1871), T. joblingi Wenzel, 1966 e Megistopoda aranea (Coquillett, 1899). Phyllostomus hastatus (Pallas, 1767) foi a espécie de morcego que apresentou as taxas de infestação mais elevadas. Platyrrhinus lineatus (É. Geoffroy, 1810) e Desmodus rotundus (É. Geoffroy, 1810) não estavam infestados. Além disso, a frequência em que os morcegos estavam infestados por apenas uma espécie de mosca foi superior à dos que estavam infestados por duas ou mais, o que pode ser um padrão.

Calyptrate flies include about 22,000 extant species currently classified into Hippoboscoidea (tsetse, louse, and bat flies), the muscoid grade (house flies and relatives) and the Oestroidea (blow flies, bot flies, flesh flies, and relatives). Calyptrates are abundant in nearly all terrestrial ecosystems, often playing key roles as decomposers, parasites, parasitoids, vectors of pathogens, and pollinators. For oestroids, the most diverse group within calyptrates, definitive fossils have been lacking. The first unambiguous fossil of Oestroidea is described based on a specimen discovered in amber from the Dominican Republic. The specimen was identified through digital dissection by CT scans, which provided morphological data for a cladistic analysis of its phylogenetic position among extant oestroids. The few known calyptrate fossils were used as calibration points for a molecular phylogeny (16S, 28S, CAD) to estimate the timing of major diversification events among the Oestroidea. Results indicate that: (a) the fossil belongs to the family Mesembrinellidae, and it is identified and described as Mesembrinella caenozoica sp. nov.; (b) the mesembrinellids form a sister clade to the Australian endemic Ulurumyia macalpinei (Ulurumyiidae) (McAlpine’s fly), which in turn is sister to all remaining oestroids; (c) the most recent common ancestor of extant Calyptratae lived just before the K–Pg boundary (ca. 70 mya); and (d) the radiation of oestroids began in the Eocene (ca. 50 mya), with the origin of the family Mesembrinellidae dated at ca. 40 mya. These results provide new insight into the timing and rate of oestroid diversification and highlight the rapid radiation of some of the most diverse and ecologically important families of flies. ZooBank accession number–urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:0DC5170B-1D16-407A-889E-56EED3FE3627.

Symbiotic interactions between insects and bacteria are ubiquitous and form a continuum from loose facultative symbiosis to greatly intimate and stable obligate symbiosis. In blood-sucking insects living exclusively on vertebrate blood, obligate endosymbionts are essential for hosts and hypothesized to supplement B-vitamins and cofactors missing from their blood diet. The role and distribution of facultative endosymbionts and their evolutionary significance as seeds of obligate symbioses are much less understood. Here, using phylogenetic approaches, we focus on the Hippoboscidae phylogeny as well as the stability and dynamics of obligate symbioses within this bloodsucking group. In particular, we demonstrate a new potentially obligate lineage of Sodalis co-evolving with the Olfersini subclade of Hippoboscidae. We also show several likely facultative Sodalis lineages closely related to Sodalis praecaptivus (HS strain) and suggest repeated acquisition of novel symbionts from the environment. Similar to Sodalis, Arsenophonus endosymbionts also form both obligate endosymbiotic lineages co-evolving with their hosts (Ornithomyini and Ornithoica groups) as well as possibly facultative infections incongruent with the Hippoboscidae phylogeny. Finally, we reveal substantial diversity of Wolbachia strains detected in Hippoboscidae samples falling into three supergroups: A, B, and the most common F. Altogether, our results prove the associations between Hippoboscoidea and their symbiotic bacteria to undergo surprisingly dynamic, yet selective, evolutionary processes strongly shaped by repeated endosymbiont replacements. Interestingly, obligate symbionts only originate from two endosymbiont genera, Arsenophonus and Sodalis, suggesting that the host is either highly selective about its future obligate symbionts or that these two lineages are the most competitive when establishing symbioses in louse flies.

Bat flies are a diverse clade of obligate ectoparasites on bats. Like most blood-feeding insects, they harbor endosymbiotic prokaryotes, but the origins and nature of these symbioses are still poorly understood. To expand the knowledge of bacterial associates in bat flies, the diversity and evolution of the dominant endosymbionts in six of eight nominal subfamilies of bat flies (Streblidae and Nycteribiidae) were studied. Furthermore, the localization of endosymbionts and their transmission across developmental stages within the family Streblidae were explored. The results show diverse microbial associates in bat flies, with at least four ancestral invasions of distantly related microbial lineages throughout bat fly evolution. Phylogenetic relationships support the presence of at least two novel symbiont lineages (here clades B and D), and extend the geographic and taxonomic range of a previously documented lineage (“Candidatus Aschnera chinzeii ”; here clade A). Although these lineages show reciprocally monophyletic clusters with several bat fly host clades, their phylogenetic relationships generally do not reflect current bat fly taxonomy or phylogeny. However, within some endosymbiont clades, congruent patterns of symbiont-host divergence are apparent. Other sequences identified in this study fall into the widely distributed, highly invasive, insect-associated Arsenophonus lineage and may be the result of symbiont replacements and/or transient infections (here clade C). Vertical transmission of endosymbionts of clades B and D is supported by fluorescent signal (fluorescent in situ hybridization [FISH]) and microbial DNA detection across developmental stages. The fluorescent bacterial signal is consistently localized within structures resembling bacteriomes, although their anatomical position differs by host fly clade. In summary, the results suggest an obligate host-endosymbiont relationship for three of the four known symbiont clades associated with bat flies (clades A, B, and D).

We investigated previously unknown associations between bacterial endosymbionts and bat flies of the subfamily Nycterophiliinae (Diptera, Streblidae). Molecular analyses revealed a novel clade of Gammaproteobacteria in Nycterophilia bat flies. This clade was not closely related to Arsenophonus -like microbes found in its sister genus Phalconomus and other bat flies. High population infection rates in Nycterophilia across a wide geographic area, the presence of the symbionts in pupae, the general codivergence between hosts and symbionts, and high AT composition bias in symbiont genes together suggest that this host-symbiont association is obligate in nature and ancient in origin. Some Nycterophilia samples (14.8%) also contained Wolbachia supergroup F ( Alphaproteobacteria ), suggesting a facultative symbiosis. Likelihood-based ancestral character mapping revealed that, initially, obligate symbionts exhibited association with host-specific Nycterophilia bat flies that use a broad temperature range of cave environments for pupal development. As this mutualism evolved, the temperature range of bat flies narrowed to an exclusive use of hot caves, which was followed by a secondary broadening of the bat flies' host associations. These results suggest that the symbiosis has influenced the environmental tolerance of parasite life history stages. Furthermore, the contingent change to an expanded host range of Nycterophilia bat flies upon narrowing the ecological niche of their developmental stages suggests that altered environmental tolerance across life history stages may be a crucial factor in shaping parasite-host relationships.

The Nycteribiidae are obligate blood-sucking Diptera (Hippoboscoidea) flies that parasitize bats. Depending on species, these wingless flies exhibit either high specialism or generalism toward their hosts, which may in turn have important consequences in terms of their associated microbial community structure. Bats have been hypothesized to be reservoirs of numerous infectious agents, some of which have recently emerged in human populations. Thus, bat flies may be important in the epidemiology and transmission of some of these bat-borne infectious diseases, acting either directly as arthropod vectors or indirectly by shaping pathogen communities among bat populations. In addition, bat flies commonly have associations with heritable bacterial endosymbionts that inhabit insect cells and depend on maternal transmission through egg cytoplasm to ensure their transmission. Some of these heritable bacteria are likely obligate mutualists required to support bat fly development, but others are facultative symbionts with unknown effects. Here, we present bacterial community profiles that were obtained from seven bat fly species, representing five genera, parasitizing bats from the Malagasy region. The observed bacterial diversity includes Rickettsia , Wolbachia , and several Arsenophonus -like organisms, as well as other members of the Enterobacteriales and a widespread association of Bartonella bacteria from bat flies of all five genera. Using the well-described host specificity of these flies and data on community structure from selected bacterial taxa with either vertical or horizontal transmission, we show that host/vector specificity and transmission mode are important drivers of bacterial community structure.

SUMMARYBat flies are obligate ectoparasites of bats and it has been hypothesized that they may be involved in the transmission ofBartonellaspecies between bats. A survey was conducted to identify whetherCyclopodia greefi greefi(Diptera: Nycteribiidae) collected from Ghana and 2 islands in the Gulf of Guinea harbourBartonella. In total, 137 adult flies removed fromEidolon helvum, the straw-coloured fruit bat, were screened for the presence ofBartonellaby culture and PCR analysis.BartonellaDNA was detected in 91 (66·4%) of the specimens examined and 1 strain of aBartonellasp., initially identified inE. helvumblood from Kenya, was obtained from a bat fly collected in Ghana. This is the first study, to our knowledge, to report the identification and isolation ofBartonellain bat flies from western Africa.

The dipteran clade Calyptratae is comprised of approximately 18 000 described species (12% of the known dipteran diversity) and includes well-known taxa such as houseflies, tsetse flies, blowflies and botflies, which have a close association with humans. However, the phylogenetic relationships within this insect radiation are very poorly understood and controversial. Here we propose a higher-level phylogenetic hypothesis for the Calyptratae based on an extensive DNA sequence dataset for 11 noncalyptrate outgroups and 247 calyptrate species representing all commonly accepted families in the Oestroidea and Hippoboscoidea, as well as those of the muscoid grade. DNA sequences for genes in the mitochondrial (12S, 16S, cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and cytochrome b) and nuclear genome [18S, 28S, the carbamoyl phosphate synthetase region of CAD (rudimentary), Elongation factor one alpha] were used to reconstruct the relationships. We discuss problems relating to the alignment and analysis of large datasets and emphasize the advantages of utilizing a guide tree-based approach for the alignment of the DNA sequences and using the leaf stability index to identify ‘wildcard’ taxa whose excessive instability obscures the phylogenetic signal. Our analyses support the monophyly of the Calyptratae and demonstrate that the superfamily Oestroidea is nested within the muscoid grade. We confirm that the monotypic family Mystacinobiidae is an oestroid and further revise the composition of the Oestroidea by demonstrating that the previously unplaced and still undescribed ‘McAlpine’s fly’ is nested within this superfamily as a probable sister group to Mystacinobiidae. Within the Oestroidea we confirm with molecular data that the Calliphoridae are a paraphyletic grade of lineages. The families Sarcophagidae and Rhiniidae are monophyletic, but support for the monophyly of Tachinidae and Rhinophoridae depends on analytical technique (e.g. parsimony or maximum likelihood). The superfamilies Hippoboscoidea and Oestroidea are consistently found to be monophyletic, and the paraphyly of the muscoid grade is confirmed. In the overall relationships for the calyptrates, the Hippoboscoidea are sister group to the remaining Calyptratae, and the Fanniidae are sister group to the nonhippoboscoid calyptrates, whose relationships can be summarized as (Muscidae (Oestroidea (Scathophagidae, Anthomyiidae))).

The ground plan of the bot flies (Oestridae, part) is compared with those of Ephydroidea and Calyptratae. Comparative anatomy suggests that the bot flies are unlikely to have arisen from within Calyptratae and that their derivation from near the base of Ephydroidea is more probable. A large body of evidence is assembled to counter the theory that would place Oestridae within the Tachinidae family-group. It is shown that Hippoboscoidea is unlikely to be monophyletic. The fit of Glossinidae to the suggested ground plan profile of the Ephydroidea/bot flies is shown to be good.

We describe levels of parasitism of ectoparasitic bat flies (Hippoboscoidea: Streblidae) on male and female bats from an extensive Neotropical survey. The collection resulted from coordinated vertebrate-parasite surveys undertaken by the Smithsonian Venezuelan Project (SVP) from 1965–1968, which sexed 24 978 bats of 130 species. Streblid parasites were recovered from 6935 individuals of 87 bat species, but only 47 species were captured frequently enough (≥ 20 infested individuals) to permit reliable estimates of streblid parasitism on males and females. Well-sampled species included 39 phyllostomids, four mormoopids, two noctilionids, one natalid and one molossid. Prevalence of streblid parasitism (proportion of individuals infested) of male and female bats was generally not significantly different, and averaged 0.34 across infested species. In species-level analyses assessed against captures, significant sex differences in infestation levels were noted in six species; all had mean prevalence below 0.5 and females were parasitized disproportionately in each. Sex differences in total numbers of flies were noted in 21 species, and in 16 of these, females carried disproportionately heavy loads. Sex differences were also found for eight species of bat in the number of fly species infesting an individual; seven of eight showed heavier female parasitism. In analyses weighted by infestation levels, sex differences in total number of flies were found in only 12 species, with seven showing excessive parasitism of females, and no species showed sex differences in the number of fly species infesting them. These significant biases were not associated with sexual size dimorphism among the bat species. Generally higher levels of parasitism among female bats accords with theory, given their generally higher survivorship and enhanced probabilities of lateral and vertical transmission of host-specific parasites, but contrasts with patterns shown by many other parasitic arthropods. Future analyses should target social groupings of bats, not passively sampled foragers, to better address the mechanisms responsible for this pattern.

Hippoboscoidea is a superfamily of Diptera that contains the Glossinidae or tsetse flies, the Hippoboscidae or louse flies, and two families of bat flies, the Streblidae and the Nycteribiidae. We reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships within Hippoboscoidea using maximum parsimony and Bayesian methods based on nucleotide sequences from fragments of four genes: nuclear 28S ribosomal DNA and the CPSase domain of CAD, and mitochondrial 16S rDNA and cytochrome oxidase I. We recover monophyly for most of the presently recognized groups within Hippoboscoidea including the superfamily as a whole, the Hippoboscidae, the Nycteribiidae, the bat flies, and the Pupipara (=Hippoboscidae+Nycteribiidae+Streblidae), as well as several subfamilies within the constituent families. Streblidae appear to be paraphyletic. Our phylogenetic hypothesis is well supported and decisive in that most competing topological hypotheses for the Hippoboscoidea require significantly longer trees. We confirm a single shift from a free-living fly to a blood-feeding ectoparasite of vertebrates and demonstrate that at least two host shifts from mammals to birds have occurred. Wings have been repeatedly lost, but never regained. The hippoboscoid ancestor also evolved adenotrophic viviparity and our cladogram is consistent with a gradual reduction in the motility of the deposited final instar larvae from active burrowing in the soil to true pupiparity where adult females glue the puparium within the confines of bat roosts.

A catalogue of the family Nycteribiidae (Diptera, Hippoboscoidea) of the New World is presented. Two genera and 52 species are listed in alphabetical order. Each genus account lists synonymies and type species, and each species account lists type locality and host, disposition of type material, geographic and host distribution, and a detailed bibliography. Um catálago da família Nycteribiidae (Diptera, Hippoboscoidea) no Novo Mundo é apresentado. Dois gêneros e 52 espécies são listados em ordem alfabética. São disponibilizados abaixo de cada gênero, sinônimos e espécies-tipo e sob cada espécie, informações sobre localidade-tipo, hospedeiro-tipo, acrônimos da instituição onde o material-tipo está depositado, distribuição geográfica, hospedeiros e detalhada referências bibliográficas.

This study describes the diversity of ectoparasitic bat flies (Diptera: Streblidae) in the state of Yucatan, Mexico. Fieldwork was carried out from June 2010 to January 2012 in seven municipalities of Yucatan, where 13 sampling sites were selected to capture bats using mist nets. Over 156 sampling nights a total of 910 bats were captured; these belonged to 19 species in four families: Mormoopidae, Phyllostomidae, Natalidae, and Vespertilionidae. Phyllostomidae was the richest family (13 bat species), followed by Mormoopidae (3 spp.), Vespertilionidae (2 spp.), and Natalidae (1 spp.). After careful inspection of the bats, a total of 2,134 Streblid bat flies were collected, belonging to 17 species in six genera (Nycterophilia coxata Ferris, N. natali Wenzel, Trichobius diphyllae Wenzel, T. dugesii Townsend, T. galei Wenzel, T. hirsutulus Bequaert, T. intermedius Peterson and Hurka, T. parasiticus Gervais, T. uniformis Curran, T. yunkeri Wenzel, Megistopoda aranea Coquillett, M. proxima Seguy, Aspidoptera delatorrei Wenzel, Strebla alvarezi Wenzel, S. diphyllae Wenzel, S. wiedemanni Kolenati, and Metelasmus pseudopterus Coquillett). The richest and most diverse genus was Trichobius. Five species--N. natali, T. diphyllae, M. proxima, A. delatorrei, and M. pseudopterus, are new records for Yucatan, and T. galei is a new record for the country, increasing the total number of Streblidae species for Mexico to 49.

List of contributors Foreword Introduction Serge Morand, Boris Krasnov and Tim Littlewood Part I. Evolutionary Ecology of Parasite Diversity: 1. Quantifying parasite diversity Robert Poulin 2. Relationships between parasite diversity and host diversity Boris Krasnov and Robert Poulin 3. Patterns of diversity and distribution of aquatic invertebrates and their parasites Tommy L. F. Leung, Camilo Mora and Klaus Rohde 4. Under the changing climate: how shifting geographic distributions and sexual selection shape parasite diversification Lajos Rozsa, Piotr Tryjanowski and Zoltan Vas 5. Impacts of parasite diversity on wild vertebrates: limited knowledge but important perspectives Frederic Bordes and Serge Morand Part II. The Evolutionary History of Parasite Diversity: 6. Revealing parasite diversity using brute force molecular techniques and gently persuasive microscopy Aurelie Chambouvet, Thomas A. Richards, David Bass and Sigrid Neuhauser 7. Evolution of simian retroviruses Ahidjo Ayouba and Martine Peeters 8. The diversity and phylogeny of Rickettsia Lucy A. Weinert 9. Advances in the classification of Acanthocephalans: evolutionary history and evolution of the parasitism Martin Garcia-Varela and Gerardo Perez-Ponce de Leon 10. The study of primate evolution from a lousy perspective David L. Reed, Julie M. Allen, Melissa A. Toups, Bret Boyd and Marina Ascunce 11. Host correlates of diversification in avian lice Lajos Rozsa and Zoltan Vas 12. Evolutionary history of Siphonaptera: fossils, origins, vectors Katharina Dittmar, Qiyun Zhu, Michael W. Hastriter and Michael F. Whiting 13. Bat fly evolution from the Eocene to the present (Hippoboscoidea, Streblidae and Nycteribiidae) Katharina Dittmar, Solon F. Morse, Carl W. Dick and Bruce D. Patterson 14. The evolution of parasitism and host associations in mites Ashley Dowling 15. Nematode life-traits diversity in the light of their phylogenetic diversification Serge Morand, Steve Nadler and Arne Skorping 16. Phylogenetic patterns of diversity in the cestodes and trematodes Timothy J. Littlewood, Rodney A. Bray and Andrea Waeschenbach 17. Patterns of diversification in the parasites of Caribbean Anolis lizards Bryan G. Falk and Susan L. Perkins Part III. Combining Ecology and Phylogenetics: 18. Comparative analysis - recent developments and uses with parasites Yves Desdevises, Serge Morand, Boris R. Krasnov and Julien Claude 19. Phylogenetic signals in ecological properties of parasites Boris R. Krasnov, Serge Morand and Robert Poulin 20. Parasite species coexistence and the evolution of the parasite niche Andrea Simkova and Serge Morand 21. A community perspective on the evolution of virulence Hadas Hawlena and Frida Ben-Ami 22. Host-specificity and species jumps in fish-parasite systems Maarten P. M. Vanhove and Tine Huyse 23. When is cophylogeny evidence of coevolution? Timothee Poisot 24. Bringing together phylogenies and behaviour in host-parasite interactions Tania Jenkins and Philippe Christe 25. The evolutionary epidemiology of the Hepatitis C virus Peter V. Markov, Rebecca R. Gray, James Iles and Oliver G. Pybus Conclusion and perspectives Armand Kuris Index.

A new genus and species of parasitic bat fly, Megistapophysis mordax gen. n., sp. n., is diagnosed and described within the subfamily Trichobiinae (Diptera: Hippoboscoidea: Streblidae). Illustrations of the wing, habitus, and male genitalia are provided. The new genus has affinities to species of Megistopoda Macquart, 1852, Neotrichobius Wenzel & Aitken, 1966, Paratrichobius Costa Lima, 1921, and the Trichobius phyllostomae group of species. Morphological affinities of related taxa to the new genus are discussed, and information regarding ecology and host associations is presented. The new genus is known exclusively from Costa Rican Sturnira mordax (Goodwin, 1938) (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae: Stenodermatinae).

Bat flies are a small but diverse group of highly specialized ectoparasitic, obligatory bloodsucking Diptera. For the first time, the phylogenetic relationships of 26 species and five subfamilies were investigated using four genes (18S rDNA, 16S rDNA, COII, and cytB) under three optimality criteria (maximum parsimony (MP), maximum likelihood (ML), and Bayesian inference). Tree topology tests of previous hypotheses were conducted under likelihood (Shimodaira-Hasegawa test). Major findings include the non-monophyly of the Streblidae and the recovery of an Old World- and a New World-Clade of bat flies. These data ambiguously resolve basal relationships between Hippoboscidae, Glossinidae, and bat flies. Recovered phylogenies resulted in either monophyly (Bayesian approach) or paraphyly (MP/ML topologies) of the bat flies, thus obscuring the potential number of possible associations with bats throughout the history of this group. Dispersal-vicariance analysis suggested the Neotropical region as the possible ancestral distribution area of the New World Streblidae and the Oriental region for the Old World bat flies. The genes examined show conflicting support across the nodes of the tree, particularly in the basal positions. Additionally, there is poor character support among all genes for the nodes associated with early hippoboscoid diversification. This results in extremely short basal branches, adding support to the idea of a rapid radiation among the four major groups of Hippoboscoidea.

This is the first report of Arsenophonus- and Photorhabdus-type bacteria from Streblidae (bat flies) and Hippoboscidae (louse flies, keds). Strains were detected by means of polymerase chain reaction of 16S rDNA, and phylogenetic analysis determined the relationship of the obtained sequences to previously reported sequences in GenBank. Phylogenetic analysis by means of maximum parsimony revealed that all isolated Arsenophonus spp. 16S rDNA sequences formed a monophyletic sub-clade within other insect Arsenophonus spp., while the Photorhabdus spp. sequences are part of a monophyletic clade including Photorhabdus spp., Xenorhabdus spp. and Proteus spp.

An updated checklist of the superfamilies Oestroidea and Hippoboscoidea recorded from Finland is presented. The checklist covers the following families: Calliphoridae, Rhiniidae, Sarcophagidae, Rhinophoridae, Tachinidae, Oestridae and Hippoboscidae.

Previous and ongoing studies have incriminated bats as reservoirs of several emerging and re-emerging zoonoses. Most of these studies, however, have focused on viral agents and neglected important bacterial pathogens. To date, there has been no report investigating the prevalence of Bartonella spp. in bats and bat flies from Nigeria, despite the fact that bats are used as food and for cultural ritual purposes by some ethnic groups in Nigeria. To elucidate the role of bats as reservoirs of bartonellae, we screened by molecular methods 148 bats and 34 bat flies, Diptera:Hippoboscoidea:Nycteribiidae (Cyclopodia greeffi) from Nigeria for Bartonella spp. Overall, Bartonella spp. DNA was detected in 76 out of 148 (51.4%) bat blood samples tested and 10 out of 24 (41.7%) bat flies tested by qPCR targeting the 16S-23S internal transcribed spacer (ITS) locus. Bartonella was isolated from 23 of 148 (15.5%) bat blood samples, and the isolates were genetically characterized. Prevalence of Bartonella spp. culture-positive samples ranged from 0% to 45.5% among five bat species. Micropterus spp. bats had a significantly higher relative risk of 3.45 for being culture positive compared to Eidolon helvum, Epomophorus spp., Rhinolophus spp., and Chaerephon nigeriae. Bartonella spp. detected in this study fall into three distinct clusters along with other Bartonella spp. isolated from bats and bat flies from Kenya and Ghana, respectively. The isolation of Bartonella spp. in 10.0-45.5% of four out of five bat species screened in this study indicates a widespread infection in bat population in Nigeria. Further investigation is warranted to determine the role of these bacteria as a cause of human and animal diseases in Nigeria.

Blood-sucking parasites from the Hippoboscoidea group (Insecta: Diptera) harbor symbiotic bacteria providing them with B-vitamins and cofactors missing from their blood diet. Although including medically important vectors such as tsetse flies, evolutionary history of symbiosis in the whole group is poorly understood. This thesis is focused on analysis of symbionts in the Hippoboscidae family (parasites of birds and mammals). Phylogenetic approach was employed to determine lineages of obligatory and facultative symbionts present in this group. Results of the study indicate that relationships between Hippoboscoidea and their symbionts are extremely dynamic with frequent replacements of obligate symbionts. To which extent is this dynamic evolutionary history of symbiotic systems in Hippoboscoidea caused by features of their parasitic lifestyle (e.g. host switches from mammals to birds) will be an interesting question for further studies.

Sequences for nearly complete 18S rRNA and partial 16S rRNA genes were determined for sixteen species representing twelve calyptrate families. Two unique insertions are present in expansion regions of the 18S rDNA in nycteribiids. Alignments containing other dipteran rRNA genes provided good resolution at higher taxonomic level: monophyly of Calyptratae is well supported. While both 16S and 18S rDNA matrices produce unstable topologies within Calyptratae when analysed separately, their combination results in a tree with several robust and well supported nodes. Of three superfamilies recognized in recent classifications, the Hippoboscoidea is well supported by 16S rDNA and by combined matrices. The representatives of Muscoidea, Musca sp. and Antipoda sp., display a tendency to cluster within Oestroidea. The comparison of secondary structures of two variable regions indicates that Sarcophagidae are related to Calliphoridae rather than to Tachinidae.

Many parasites, such as those that cause malaria, depend on an insect vector for transmission between vertebrate hosts. Theory predicts that parasites should have little or no effect on the transmission ability of vectors, e.g., parasites should not reduce vector life span as this will limit the temporal window of opportunity for transmission. However, if the parasite and vector compete for limited resources, there may be an unavoidable physiological cost to the vector (resource limitation hypothesis). If this cost reduces vector fitness, then the effect should be on reproduction, not survival. Moreover, in cases where both sexes act as vectors, the effect should be greater on females than males because of the greater cost of reproduction for females. We tested these predictions using Haemoproteus columbae, a malaria parasite of Rock Pigeons (Columba livia) that is vectored by both sexes of the hippoboscid fly Pseudolynchia canariensis. Hippoboscids belong to a group of insects (Hippoboscoidea) with unusually high female reproductive investment; eggs hatch in utero, and each larva progresses through three stages, feeding from internal ''milk'' glands in the female, followed by deposition as a large puparium. We compared fitness components for flies feeding on malaria-infected vs. uninfected Rock Pigeons. Survival of female flies decreased significantly when they fed on infected birds, while survival of male flies was unaffected. Our results were contrary to the overall prediction that malaria parasites should have no effect on vector survival, but consistent with the prediction that an effect, if present, would be greater on females. As predicted, females feeding on malaria-infected birds produced fewer offspring, but there was no effect on the quality of offspring. A separate short-term feeding experiment confirmed that female flies are unable to compensate for resource limitation by altering blood meal size. The unanticipated effect on female survival may be explained by the fact that H. columbae also has the option of using male flies as vectors.

Recently, a growing number Bartonella spp. have been identified as causative agents for a broadening spectrum of zoonotic diseases, emphasizing their medical importance. Many mammalian reservoirs and vectors however are still unknown, hindering our understanding of pathogen ecology and obscuring epidemiological connections. New Bartonella genotypes were detected in a global sampling of 19 species of blood-feeding bat flies (Diptera, Hippoboscoidea, Nycteribiidae, Streblidae) from 20 host bat species, suggesting an important role of bat flies in harboring bartonellae. Evolutionary relationships were explored in the context of currently known Bartonella species and genotypes. Phylogenetic and gene network analyses point to an early evolutionary association and subsequent radiation of bartonellae with bat flies and their hosts. The recovery of unique clades, uniting Bartonella genotypes from bat flies and bats, supports previous ideas of these flies potentially being vectors for Bartonella. Presence of bartonellae in some female bat flies and their pupae suggests vertical transmission across developmental stages. The specific function of bartonellae in bats and bat flies remains a subject of debate, but in addition to pathogenic interactions, parasitic, mutualistic, or reservoir functions need to be considered.

Background Both sexes of bat flies in the families Nycteribiidae and Streblidae (Diptera: Hippoboscoidea) reside in the hair or on the wing membranes of bats and feed on blood. Members of the Nycteribiidae transmit bat malaria globally however extant streblids have never been implemented as vectors of bat malaria. The present study shows that during the Tertiary, streblids also were vectors of bat malaria. Results A new haemospororidan, Vetufebrus ovatus, n. gen., n. sp., (Haemospororida: Plasmodiidae) is described from two oocysts attached to the midgut wall and sporozoites in salivary glands and ducts of a fossil bat fly (Diptera: Streblidae) in Dominican amber. The new genus is characterized by ovoid oocysts, short, stubby sporozoites with rounded ends and its occurrence in a fossil streblid. This is the first haemosporidian reported from a streblid bat fly and shows that representatives of the Hippoboscoidea were vectoring bat malaria in the New World by the mid-Tertiary. Conclusions This report is the first evidence of an extant or extinct streblid bat fly transmitting malaria. Discovering a mid-tertiary malarial parasite in a fossil streblid that closely resembles members of a malarial genus found in nycteribiid bat flies today shows how little we know about the vector associations of streblids. While no malaria parasites have been found in extant streblids, they probably occur and it is possible that streblids were the earliest lineage of flies that transmitted bat malaria to Chiroptera.

The first fossil streblid, Enischnomyia stegosoma n. g., n. sp. (Diptera: Hippoboscoidea: Streblidae), is described from Dominican amber. Placed in the subfamily Nycterophiliinae Wenzel, 1966, which includes two New World extant genera, Nycterophilia Ferris, 1916 and Phalconomus Wenzel, 1984 (=Phalcophila Wenzel, 1976), the male specimen of E. stegosoma is characterised by the following features: a laterally compressed body, well-developed two-segmented antennae with the scape fused with the head, a tubular pedicel with an annulated basal portion and swollen apical portion bearing setae and bristles, a distinct flagellum with a dorsal boss bearing microsetae and a subterminal pectinate arista, a large tubular labium (proboscis) with the tip held upwards, eyes reduced to three facets, an expanded and flattened profemur, an anteriorly curved protarsus, and a well-developed wing with an entire distal margin. The possession of wings separates E. stegosoma from the species of Phalconomus, and the wing outline and venation, as well as the structure of the antennae and palps, distinguish it from species of Nycterophilia.

Bat flies of the family Nycteribiidae are known for their extreme morphological and physiological traits specialized for ectoparasitic blood-feeding lifestyle on bats, including lack of wings, reduced head and eyes, adenotrophic viviparity with a highly developed uterus and milk glands, as well as association with endosymbiotic bacteria. We investigated Japanese nycteribiid bat flies representing 4 genera, 8 species and 27 populations for their bacterial endosymbionts. From all the nycteribiid species examined, a distinct clade of gammaproteobacteria was consistently detected, which was allied to endosymbionts of other insects such as Riesia spp. of primate lice and Arsenophonus spp. of diverse insects. In adult insects, the endosymbiont was localized in specific bacteriocytes in the abdomen, suggesting an intimate host–symbiont association. In adult females, the endosymbiont was also found in the cavity of milk gland tubules, which suggests uterine vertical transmission of the endosymbiont to larvae through milk gland secretion. In adult females of Penicillidia jenynsii, we discovered a previously unknown type of symbiotic organ in the Nycteribiidae: a pair of large bacteriomes located inside the swellings on the fifth abdominal ventral plate. The endosymbiont genes consistently exhibited adenine/thymine biased nucleotide compositions and accelerated rates of molecular evolution. The endosymbiont genome was estimated to be highly reduced, ∼0.76 Mb in size. The endosymbiont phylogeny perfectly mirrored the host insect phylogeny, indicating strict vertical transmission and host–symbiont co-speciation in the evolutionary course of the Nycteribiidae. The designation ‘Candidatus Aschnera chinzeii' is proposed for the endosymbiont clade.

We studied the ectoparasitic bat flies of three phyllostomid vampire bat species. Bats were collected monthly from April 2004-March 2005 in caves within the Cafuringa Environmental Protection Area in the Federal District of Brazil. A total of 1,259 specimens from six species in the Streblidae family were collected from 332 bats. High host affinity from the sampled bat fly species and high prevalence of bat flies confirms the primary fly-host associations (Strebla wiedemanni, Trichobius parasiticus and Trichobius furmani with Desmodus, Trichobius diaemi and Strebla diaemi with Diaemus and T. furmani with Diphylla). Male flies outnumbered females in several associations. Some of the observed associations (e.g., Strebla mirabilis with Desmodus and S. mirabilis, Trichobius uniformis and S. wiedemanni with Diphylla) were inconclusive and the causes of the associations were unclear. There are several explanations for these associations, including (i) accidental contamination during sampling, (ii) simultaneous capture of several host species in the same net or (iii) genuine, but rare, ecological associations. Although various species of vampire bats share roosts, have similar feeding habits and are close phylogenetic relatives, they generally do not share ectoparasitic streblid bat flies. T. diaemi and S. diaemi associations with Diaemus youngi have not been previously reported in this region.

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% 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% 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.

Approximately 5% of the known species-level diversity of Diptera belongs to the Muscoidea with its approximately 7000 described species. Despite including some of the most abundant and well known flies, the phylogenetic relationships within this superfamily are poorly understood. Previous attempts at reconstructing the relationships based on morphology and relatively small molecular data sets were only moderately successful. Here, we use molecular data for 127 exemplar species of the Muscoidea, two species from the Hippoboscoidea, ten species representing the Oestroidea and seven outgroup species from four acalyptrate superfamilies. Four mitochondrial genes 12S, 16S, COI, and Cytb, and four nuclear genes 18S, 28S, Ef1a, and CAD are used to reconstruct the relationships within the Muscoidea. The length-variable genes were aligned using a guide tree that was based on the protein-encoding genes and the indel-free sections of the ribosomal genes. We found that, based on topological considerations, this guide tree was a significant improvement over the default guide trees generated by ClustalX. The data matrix was analyzed using maximum parsimony (MP) and maximum likelihood (ML) and yielded very similar tree topologies. The Calyptratae are monophyletic and the Hippoboscoidea are the sister group to the remaining calyptrates (MP). The Muscoidea are paraphyletic with a monophyletic Oestroidea nested within the Muscoidea as sister group to Anthomyiidae + Scathophagidae. The monophyly of three of the four recognized families in the Muscoidea is confirmed: the Fanniidae, Muscidae, and Scathophagidae. However, the Anthomyiidae are possibly paraphyletic. Within the Oestroidea, the Sarcophagidae and Tachinidae are sister groups and the Calliphoridae are paraphyletic.