Abstract
Although the Chiroptera represents a significant proportion (c.20%) of the mammalian fauna and South America has the highest diversity of bat species, only about a third of the known species in this region have had helminth parasites reported from them. This work represents the first comprehensive checklist of the helminth parasites (nematodes, acanthocephalans, trematodes and cestodes) of South American bats. The data were extracted from more than 120 references and are presented as a key to each group of parasites down to the generic level, with an indication of how the bats become infected, accompanied by a list of the species recorded for each genus. This is followed, in tabular form, by parasite-host and host-parasite checklists. The parasite-host list also includes their geographical distribution in South America (at the country level) and site data, plus the references in which the parasite records occur. The host-parasite list is arranged according to the classification of the hosts. In all, c.370 host-parasite associations are recorded, involving 114 nominal species of helminths from 92 named chiropteran taxa.
Highlights
The Chiroptera is a large group, representing 20–22% of mammalian species (e.g. Simmons, 2005), and some of the highest chiropteran species diversity in the world occurs in the Neotropical region (Willig & Selcer 1989)
The same is true for their helminth parasites, for, as indicated below, only about a third of the known bat species in South America have had helminths reported from them
In addition to increasing our knowledge in terms of biodiversity and disease, the study of the helminth parasites of bats is important as it contributes to our understanding of feeding habits and other aspects of their biology, and may indicate useful biological markers for bat populations
Summary
The Chiroptera is a large group, representing 20–22% of mammalian species (e.g. Simmons, 2005), and some of the highest chiropteran (bat) species diversity in the world occurs in the Neotropical region (Willig & Selcer 1989). Phylum Acanthocephala The Acanthocephala is a small group of more than a thousand species (thorny-headed worms) which occur as intestinal parasites of a wide range of vertebrates at the adult stage.
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