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

DI BENEDETTO, INGRID MARÍA DESIREÉ; OSCHEROV, ELENA BEATRÍZ; AUTINO, ANALÍA GLADYS

Revista Chilena de Entomología

Sociedad Chilena de Entomología

Año: 2023

0718-8994

New information is presented regarding bats and their ectoparasite insects in the Esteros delIberá ecoregion, Corrientes, Argentina. The aim of this study was to explore the diversity of ectoparasitespecies found on bats in northeastern Argentina and analyze their taxonomic features, hosts,and distribution. Bats were collected from the Molossidae, Pyllostomidae and Vespertilionidaefamilies along with ectoparasites from the Streblidae, Nycteribiidae (Diptera), Polyctenidae(Hemiptera) and Ischnopsyllidae (Siphonaptera) families. Aspidoptera falcata Wenzel, 1976, Megistopodatheodori Wenzel, 1966, Hesperoctenes eumops Ferris & Usinger, 1939 and Hespercotenes fumariusWestwood, 1874 were added to the ectoparasite fauna for the province of Corrientes, increasing thenumber of species and their geographic distribution. A rarely studied stage of a larva about to emergefrom the posterior end of Basilia carteri Scott, 1936 (Nycteribiidae) was recorded. Additionally, 13parasitological associations were made for the Esteros del Iberá, four of which are new for theprovince of Corrientes: B. carteri with Myotis riparius Handley, 1960, H. fumarius and H. giganteusRonderos, 1959 with Molossus rufus É. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1806 and Myodopsylla wolffsohniwolffsohni 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.