Ectoparasites (Diptera, Hemiptera and Siphonaptera) of bats (Chiroptera) in northeastern Argentina

Abstract

New information is presented regarding bats and their ectoparasite insects in the Esteros del Iberá ecoregion, Corrientes, Argentina. The aim of this study was to explore the diversity of ectoparasite species found on bats in northeastern Argentina and analyze their taxonomic features, hosts, and distribution. Bats were collected from the Molossidae, Pyllostomidae and Vespertilionidae families along with ectoparasites from the Streblidae, Nycteribiidae (Diptera), Polyctenidae (Hemiptera) and Ischnopsyllidae (Siphonaptera) families. Aspidoptera falcata Wenzel, 1976, Megistopoda theodori Wenzel, 1966, Hesperoctenes eumops Ferris & Usinger, 1939 and Hespercotenes fumarius Westwood, 1874 were added to the ectoparasite fauna for the province of Corrientes, increasing the number of species and their geographic distribution. A rarely studied stage of a larva about to emerge from the posterior end of Basilia carteri Scott, 1936 (Nycteribiidae) was recorded. Additionally, 13 parasitological associations were made for the Esteros del Iberá, four of which are new for the province of Corrientes: B. carteri with Myotis riparius Handley, 1960, H. fumarius and H. giganteus Ronderos, 1959 with Molossus rufus É. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1806 and Myodopsylla wolffsohni wolffsohni Rothschild, 1903 with M. riparius Handley, 1960; the latter being also new for Argentina. These results provide host and locality records and new parasite-host associations.

Keywords

• corrientes
• ischnopsyllidae
• nycteribiidae
• polyctenidae
• streblidae