Ectoparasites of lesser mouse eared bat, Myotis blythii from Kermanshah Iran

Abstract

Objective To identify the ectoparasits of lesser mouse eared bat, Myotis blythii inside the Mahi-Dasth cave in Kermanshah province, Iran. Methods A total of 30 lasser mouse eared bat ( Myotis blythii) in a cave close to Kermanshah city were hunted with special net and were transported to the laboratory. After anesthetizing by chloroform, ectoparasites from these bats were removed and identified. Results The ectoparasites include flies, ticks and mites. The 39 identified flies belonged to two families including Strebilidae (7.7%) and Nycteribiidae (92.3%). A total number of 5 ticks of larval, nymphal and adult stages of Ixodes vespertilionis and 18 mites from Spiturnicidae family were identified. Conclusions The result of this study is a clue for the identification of ectoparasites from bats and implication of possible prevention measures for diseases transmitted by ectoparasites.