What is a Penicillidia?

The flies (Penicillidia sp), however, are both very real and very interesting. The ancestor of Penicillidia flies probably looked something like modern tsetse flies, which also feed on blood. But after millions of years of co-evolution with their furry hosts, bat flies have become highly specialised parasites.

Where are bat flies found?

Bat fly -microparasite associations originated from 61 countries (Figure 5) with a total of 269 reports (excluding those with unspecified or unknown geographical locations). Associations reported from countries were most commonly from Europe (n = 89, 33%), North America (n = 69, 25.7%), and Africa (n = 61, 22.7%).

What do bat flies do?

Bat flies are common on most species and since they are obligate hematophagous dipterans, they may play an important role in the transmission and maintenance of bat pathogens.

What do bat flies look like?

bat fly, any insect belonging to the two families Nycteribiidae and Streblidae (order Diptera). Members of the family Nycteribiidae are wingless, spiderlike insects with long legs and a small head that folds back into a groove in the thorax when at rest. They are external parasites of bats.

What is a parasitic fly?

Tachinidae (parasitic flies) in the order Diptera (flies) Tachinid flies are one of the largest families of flies. They are parasitic flies whose larvae are parasitoids of other insects or arthropods. A parasitoid is a parasite that ultimately kills its host.

Do bat flies hurt bats?

Even so, the bat flies’ ability to hold on tight to their host is critical, as they can’t survive long without access to blood. ‘They’ve got really amazing claws to cling onto the fur of the bats. For some, if they fell off a bat mid-flight, that’s them basically ruined.

What do bat flies eat?

blood
Bat flies are external parasites that spend almost their entire lives on bats, feeding on their blood. There are hundreds of species of bat fly. Some occur on multiple species of bat, whereas others are much more host specific. The insects belong to two families – Streblidae and Nycteribiidae.

What parasites do bats carry?

External parasites such as fleas, ticks, batflies, batbugs and mites are occasionally transmitted by close contact with an infested bat or infested bat roosts. Bites from an external parasite such as a tick can transmit vector-borne zoonotic diseases such as bartonellosis, erlichiosis and borreliosis.

Do bats fly around all night?

Bats are the most active at night between the hours of dusk to dawn. As night approaches, bats begin to increase their activity. They will start flying around their cave and then leave in search of food and water. Bats will typically feed for about an hour or two, rest for a bit, then feed again before daybreak.

What are the symptoms of having a bot fly?

Patients with botfly infestation often describe feeling movement under the skin as the larva feeds and grows, but it does not travel in the body. Once mature, the larva drops to the ground and pupates in soil. Signs and symptoms include a hard, raised lesion and localized erythema, pain, and edema.

What do Botfly bites look like?

Formation of wounds on the skin, with redness and slight swelling on the region; Release of a yellowish or bloody fluid from the sores on the skin; Sensation of something stirring under the skin; Pain or intense itching at the wound site.