Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
 

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Family Nycteribiidae

Representative Images

Nycteribiidae - Basilia bat fly - Basilia boardmani - female bat fly - Basilia boardmani - female bat fly - Basilia boardmani - female Basilia forcipata Basilia forcipata Basilia antrozi - Basilia

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Diptera (Flies)
No Taxon (Calyptratae)
Superfamily Hippoboscoidea
Family Nycteribiidae

Explanation of Names

Nycteribiidae Samouelle 1819

Numbers

6 spp. in a single genus in our area, ~280 spp. in 11 genera of 3 subfamilies total(1)

Size

1.5-5.0 mm(2)

Range

worldwide(1)

Habitat

Found in the fur of bats

Food

Adults are obligate blood feeders on bats; larvae remain in mother until ready to pupate (as in other Pupipara)

Life Cycle

Females give birth to one (sometimes more) offspring in a process that resembles true viviparity. The fly leaves the host only to deposit the larvae in a safe place to pupate. Wingless (they can afford it because their hosts return to the same roost regularly.) --B. Zvolanek, FB comm.

Works Cited

1.Checklist of World Nycteribiidae (Diptera: Hippoboscoidea)
Graciolli G., Dick C.W. 2018.
2.Manual of Nearctic Diptera Volume 2
Varies for each chapter; edited by J.F. McAlpine, B.V. Petersen, G.E. Shewell, H.J. Teskey, J.R. Vockeroth, D.M. Wood. 1987. Research Branch Agriculture Canada.
Contributed by v belov on 15 June, 2017 - 3:02pm
Additional contributions by Joshua Stuart Rose, Matt Bertone
Last updated 29 July, 2019 - 12:23pm

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