The Batflies (Nycteribiidae) of South Africa

Compiled by Tanza Crouch

Department of Entmology & Arachnology, Durban Natural Science Museum, P O Box 4085, Durban, 4000, South Africa
Tel: +27 [0]31 3006216 Fax: +27 [0]31 3006302

© Copyright of this page belongs to the author.
Yours is the access since 1 January 1999

CONTENTS

Introduction
Checklist
Nycteribiinae
Cyclopodinae
References

INTRODUCTION

This list of Nycteribiidae has been compiled from the literature. It is not a taxonomic work. However, I have attempted to include current names of both the parasites and the bats. The sources from which the host lists are compiled are (1) Zumpt (1966) and (2) de Faveaux (1984). More information about flies can be obtained from

The Diptera page of The Tree of Life

Family: NYCTERIBIIDAE

    Subfamily: NYCTERIBIINAE

  1. Genus: NYCTERIBIA Latreille, 1796
    1. N. alternata Maa, 1962
      Host bats: Eidolum helvum (2).
      Distribution: Cameroon.
    2. N. capensis Karaman, 1939
      Host bats: Miniopterus schreibersi (1,2), Myotis tricolor (1,2).
      Distribution: Former Cape Province and at Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa.
    3. N. exacuta Theodor, 1957
      Host bats: Miniopterus inflatus (1,2), M. schriebersi (2).
      Distribution: Guinea.
    4. N. latiterga Theodor, 1957
      Host bats: Miniopterus schreibersi (1,2), Myotis tricolor (1,2).
      Distribution: Kenya.
    5. N. schmidlii Schiner, 1853
      Host bats: Miniopterus inflatus (1,2), M. minor (1,2), M. schreibersi (1,2), Miniopterus sp. (2), Rhinolophus capensis (1,2), R. clivosus (1,2), R. hildebrandti (2), Hipposideros caffer (1,2), Eptesicus capensis (1,2), Eptesicus sp. (2), Pipistrellus nanus (1,2), Nycteris thebaica (2), Triaenops persicus (2).
      Distribution: N. schmidlii scotti Falcoz, 1923 is Widely distributed over the Ethiopian region (Nigeria, Cameroon, Congo, Sudan, Kenya, Zambia, Namibia, and in the former Transvaal, Natal and Cape-Provinces of South Africa). N. schmidlii schmidlii Schiner, 1853 is restricted to the Mediterranean.

  2. Genus: PTHIRIDIUM Hermann, 1804
    1. P. scissa (Speiser, 1901)
      Host bats: Rhinolophus clivosus (1,2), R. capensis (2), R. fumigatus (1,2), R. hildebrandti (1,2), R. darlingi (1,2), Rhinolophus sp. (2), Rousettus lanosus (2), Hipposideros caffer (1,2), Nycteris thebaica (1,2).
      Distribution: Restricted to the Ethiopian region. P. scissa scissa (Speiser, 1901) is found only in southern Africa (the former Cape, Transvaal, Natal, S.W. Africa). P. scissa sudanica (Theodor, 1957) is known from Ethiopia, Sudan and the Congo. N. scissa rhodesiensis (Theodor, 1957) is based on material from Zimbabwe and Malawi.
    2. P. hoogstraali (Theodor, 1957)
      Host bats: Rhinolophus eloquens (1), R. hildebranti (2), R. fumigatus (2), R. swinnyi (2), Rhinolophus sp. (2).
      Distribution: Sudan, Congo and Tanzania.
    3. P. inopinata (Theodor, 1957)
      Host bats: Rhinolophus alcyone (1,2).
      Distribution: Cameroon.
    4. P. integra (Theodor & Moscona, 1954)
      Host bats: Rhinolophus clivosus , R. blasii (1,2), Hipposideros caffer (1,2), Nycteris thebaica (2), Taphozous mauritianus (2), T. perforatus (2).
      Distribution: Tanzania, Egypt. It enters the Ethiopian region in south-west Arabia (Yemen).
    5. P. ovalis (Theodor, 1957)
      Host bats: Hipposideros caffer (1,2), Rhinolophus blasii (2), R. clivosus (1,2), R. swinnyi (2), Rhinolophus sp. (2), Nycteris thebaica ( 2).
      Distribution: Sierra Leone, Tanzania, KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa.
    6. P. rotundata (Theodor, 1957)
      Host bats: Rhinolophus hildebrandti (1,2).
      Distribution: Known only from Mazoe in Zimbabwe.
    7. P. tecta (Theodor, 1957)
      Host bats: Rhinolophus deckenii (1), R. clivosus (2), R. darlingi (1,2), Rhinolophus sp. (1,2), Miniopterus schreibersi (2), Miniopterus sp. (1,2), Eptesicus sp. (1,2), Hipposideros caffer (1,2).
      Distribution: The atypical form is found in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Sudan. A possible second subspecies has been collected from Zimbabwe and the former Transvaal in South Africa.

  3. Genus: BASILIA Ribeiro, 1903
    1. B. ansifera Theodor, 1967
      Host bats: Eptesicus rendalli (1,2), E. tenuipinnis (1,2), P. nanus (1,2), Scotophilus sp. (1,2), Chaerophon pumila (1,2).
      Distribution: West African from Lake Victoria in the east to Lake Nyasa in the south, Kenya and Sudan.
    2. B. aequisetosa (Theodor, 1956)
      Host bats: Saccolaimus peli (2)
      Distribution: Liberia, Congo, Nigeria.
    3. B. daganiae Theodor & Moscona, 1954
      Host bats: Pipistrellus kuhlii (1,2), P. nanus (2), Cardioderma cor (1,2).
      Distribution: Orginally described from Palestine, also occurring in Egypt, Cyprus and Kenya.
    4. B. echinata (Theodor, 1957)
      Host bats: Eptesicus brunneus (2).
      Distribution: S. Nigeria.
    5. B. meridionalis Theodor, 1956
      Host bats: Rousettus lanosus (2), Kerrivoula lanosa (2).
      Distribution: King Williamstown in the former Eastern Cape of South Africa.
    6. B. robusta Theodor, 1957
      Host bats: Eptisicus tennuipinnis (1,2), Pipistrellus nanus (1,2), Nycticeius schleiffeni (2), Eptesicus capensis (2), Eptesicus sp. (2).
      Distribution: Ethiopia, Uganda, Congo, Nigeria, Angola, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
    7. B. kerivoulae Theodor, 1973
      Host bats: Kerivoula lanosa (2).
      Distribution: King Williamstown in the former Eastern Cape of South Africa.
    8. B. tarda Maa, 1968
      Host bats: Pipistrellus nanus (2).
      Distribution: Mozambique.
    9. B. sierraleonae Theodor, 1968
      Host bats: Pipstrellus sp. (2).
      Distribution: Sierra Leone.
    10. B. tenuispina Theodor, 1957
      Host bats: Epomops franqueti (1,2).
      Distribution: Congo.
    11. B. bouvieri (Falcoz, 1924)
      Host bats: Scotophilus nigrita (1,2), E. rendalli (2).
      Distribution: West Africa, Sudan, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Tanzania.
    12. B. victorianyanzae Theodor, 1968
      Host bats: Chaerophon pumila (2).
      Distribution: Uganda.
    13. B. glabra Theodor,1957
      Host bats: Scotophilus dinganii (2), S. nigrita (2).
      Distribution: Nigeria, Liberia and Congo.
    14. B aequisitosa (Theodor, 1956)
      Host bats: Saccolaimus peli (1,2)
      Distribution: Liberia, Congo and Nigeria.
    15. B. blainvillii (Leach, 1817)
      Host bats: Taphozous mauritianus (1,2), Rousettus sp. (1), R. aegyptiacus (2), Epomophorous labiatus (2).
      Distribution: Madagascar and tropical Africa from west to east between lat. 10ø north and south.

  4. Genus: PENICILLIDIA Kolenati, 1963
    1. P. allisoni Theodor, 1968
      Host bats: Hipposideros caffer (2).
      Distribution: Ghana, Liberia.
    2. P. fulvida (Bigot, 1885)
      Host bats: Eidolon helvum (1,2), C. afra (1, 2), Nycteris thebaica (1,2), Rhinolophus adami (2), R. blasii (1), R. clivosus (1,2), R. eloquens (1), R. fumigatus (1,2), R. hildebrandti (2), R. landeri (2), R. silvestris (2), Rhinolophus sp. (2), Myotis tricolor (1,2), Miniopterus inflatus (1,2), M. minor (2), M. schreibersi (1,2), Miniopterus sp. (2), Rousettus angolensis (2), Hipposideros caffer (2), Triaenops persicus (2).
      Distribution:: Cape northwards to Tanzania, Kenya and Sudan, westwards over the Congo to Cameroon. Also reported from Yemen.
    3. P. senegalensis (Gervais, 1844)
      Host bats: Hipposideros caffer (2), Asellia tridens (2).
      Distribution: Congo, Senegal.
    4. P. pachymela Speiser, 1901
      Host bats: Hipposiderus caffer (1,2), Hipposideros sp. (2), Rhinolophus fumigatus (2), R. hildebranti (2), R. landeri (1,2), R. swinnyi (2), Nycteris thebaica (2), N. macrotis (2), Nycteris sp. (1,2).
      Distribution: Somalia, Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Congo, French Equatorial Africa and Cameroon.

  5. Genus: EUCAMPSIPODA Kolenati, 1857
    1. E. africana Theodor, 1955
      Host bats: Rousettus aegyptiacus (1,2), R. angolensis (1), Eidolon helvum (1,2), Epomophorous gambianus (2).
      Distribution: Widely distributed over the Ethiopian region (Senegal to Sudan and southwards to the Cape in South Africa).
    2. E. hyrtlii (Kolenati, 1856)
      Host bats: Rousettus aegyptiacus (1,2), Rhinopoma hardwickei (2).
      Distribution: Middle East (Egypt, Pelastine and Syria).

  6. Genus: DIPSELIOPODA Theodor, 1955
    1. D. arcuata (Theodor, 1955)
      Host bats: Epomophorous sp. (2).
      Distribution: Known only from the type series from Ethiopia.
    2. D. biannulata (Oldroyd, 1953)
      Host bats: Rousettus aegyptiacus (1,2), R. angolensis (1,2), Chaerophon pumila (1,2), Rhinolophus hildebranti (2), Rhinolophus sp. (1), Myonycteris torquata (2).
      Distribution:: Tropical Africa (Nigeria, Liberia, Cameroon, Congo, Sudan, Kenya).
    3. D. setosa Theodor, 1955
      Host bats: Rousettus lanosus (1,2), R. aegyptiacus (2), R. angolensis (2), Eidolon helvum (1,2).
      Distribution: Kenya and Tanzania.

    Subfamily: CYCLOPODINAE

  7. Genus: CYCLOPODIA Kolenati, 1863
    1. C. greeffi Karsch, 1884
      Host bats: Eidolon helvum (1,2), Rousettus angolensis (1,2), Pteropus voeltzkowi (2), Epomophorous gambianus (2), Epomophorus sp. (1,2).
      Distribution: C. greefi greefi is found in central Africa, between 10ø latitude south and north (in West Africa it occurs further north, almost up to 20ø lattitude) (Nigeria, Senegal, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, cameroon, Mali, Ivory Coast, Pembe). C. greefi arabica is known only from the Yemen.

REFERENCES

de Faveaux, M. 1984.
Les chritopteres du continent africain. Musee Royale de L'Afrique Centrale, Tervuren.
Theodor, O. 1967.
An illustrated catalogue of the Rothschild collection of Nycteribiidae (Diptera) inthe British Museum (Natural History), with keys and short descriptions for the identification of subfamilies, genera, species and subspecies British Museum (Natural History), London.
Theodor, O. 1968.
New species and new records of Nycteribiidae from the Ethiopian, Oriental and Pacific regions. Parasitology 58: 247-276.
Theodor, O. 1973.
New species and new records of Diptera Pupipara. II Species from Asia and Africa. Journal of Medical Entomology 10: 556-569.
Maa, TC. 1968.
On Diptera Pupipara from Africa: part I. Journal of Medical Entomology 5: 238-251.
Zumpt, F. 1966.
The arthropod parasites of vertebrates in Africa south of the Sahara. South African Institute for Medical Research, Johannesburg.

Other references used in compiling this list:

Wilson, D.E. and Reeder, D.M. 1993.
Mammal species of the world. Smithsonian Institute Press, Washington and London.
Townshend, B.C., Chainey, J.E., Crosskey, R.W., Pont, A.C., Lane, R.P., Boorman, J.P.T. and Lowry, C.A. 1990.
A catalogue of bloodsucking flies. Natural History Museum, London.


This part of A Catalogue of South African Insects revised: