Abstract
Studies on the relationship between host species and ectoparasites are limited on small oceanic islands such as the Philippine archipelago, particularly between bat species and their associated ectoparasites. Prior to our study, only a single bat fly species (Leptocyclopodia simulans), a wingless species in the family Nycteribiidae, was reported on Bohol Island located in the central Philippines. We report additional records of nycteribiid bat fly species collected from cave-dwelling bats on Bohol Island. We also report the first records of winged bat flies in the family Streblidae as well as new distribution records for Brachytarsina amboinensis, B. cucullata, B. werneri, Megastrebla parvior, Raymondia pagodarum, R. pseudopagodarum, Eucampsipoda inermis, E. sundaica, Nycteribia allotopa, N. allotopoides, N. parvula, and Penicillidia acuminata on Bohol Island. In addition to documenting new distribution records of nycteribiid and streblid bat flies in the Philippines, we also report new host records for some bat fly species. This includes the first record of B. amboinensis collected on Taphozous melanopogon (Black-bearded tomb bat), B. werneri on Miniopterus tristis (Great bent-winged bat), and R. pagodarum on Hipposideros pygmaeus (Philippine pygmy roundleaf bat). Our study highlights the undocumented relationships that exist between bats and bat flies, and warrants further investigation particularly in understudied island systems.
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