HOSTS (Africa) 



Bats 



Almost any bat, whether it lives in large colonies or in small 

 groups, may be parasitized by A. vespertilionis . All stages prob- 

 ably infest the same kinds of "Hosts, 



Three species of chiropteran hosts are thiis far known from 

 the Sudan (records above). The Angolan larva is from Pipistrellus 

 nanus . In Egypt, we find larvae chiefly on Otonycteris h. hemprichi , 

 Rhinopoma hardwickei cystops and R. microphyllum , Taphozous _£. 

 perforata and T. nudiventris , Nycteris t. theTaica , Tadarida a. 

 aegyptiaca and T. teniotis ruppelli . They are less n\imerous on 

 Rhino lophus clivosus brachygnatus , R. mehelyi , Asellia t. triedens , 

 Plecotus a\jritus christiei , Pipistrellus k. kuhli , and Rousettus 

 a. aegyptiacus . Egyptian bats reviewed by Ssmborn and Hoogstraal 



Man 



Nymphs and adults on several occasions have attacked us in 

 caves and we easily induce it to bite ourselves in the laboratory 

 (Hoogstraal 1952A,1955B). 



BIOLOGY 



Life Cycle 



In our laboratory, Mr. Sobhv Gaber successfully rears spec- 

 imens of A. vespertilionis at 80"F. to 9C^. and U% R.H. to 

 5C{£ R.H. "Egg batches consist of thirty to fifty eggs, one-fifth 

 or one-sixth of which aisually do not hatch. Larvae emerge from 

 sixteen to twenty days after the eggs are laid and some will feed 

 as quickly as four days afterwards. The diiration of larval feed- 

 ing varies from fourteen to 31 days, but is usually seventeen to 

 nineteen days. Five to ten days later larvae molt to nymphs, 

 which are capable of feeding three or four days after this and 

 after subsequent molts. Usually two feedings are indiilged by 

 nymphs, followed by a molt eight or nine days after the first 

 meal and twelve to fourteen days after the second meal. Nymphs 



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