1917.] Lang and Chapin, Field Notes on African Chiroptera. 559 



Remarks on Parasites of African Bats. 



In describing the life-histories of African bats it would be a mistake 

 to pass over in silence their interesting insect parasites, especially as these 

 are so apt to be neglected by the mammalogist, in spite of their evident 

 ecological interest. We feel justified therefore in adding a few notes of a 

 general character on this subject, largely provided by Dr. Joseph Bequaert, 

 who speaks from personal experience in the Congo. 



Among the various parasites collected on bats by the Congo Expedition, 

 the most curious in appearance are probably the Nycteribiidse, often called 

 in English bat-lice or bat-ticks. They are however true, Diptera, though 

 wingless, pupiparous, blood-sucking parasites. In* the adult stage they 

 rarely leave their host. 



The following species were collected: 



Tripselia fryeri Scott <f . on Saccolaimus peli. 



Cyclopodia greeffi Karsch on Eidolon hehum. 



Penicillidia senegalensis Gervais on Hipposideros caffcr centralis 



Penicillidia fulvida Bigot on Miniopterus inflatus. 



Listropoda schmidlii Schin on " " 



The largest of these parasitic flies is Cyclopodia greeffi Karsch, which 

 may attain a length of 3 to 4 mm. Its life-history has recently been studied 

 by J. Rodhain and J. Bequaert. 1 It is so common in the Belgian Congo that 

 we rarely found specimens of Eidolon hehum without one or more of these 

 parasites. When the host is handled they attract attention by quickly 

 scurrying across the fur, and their spider-like form then becomes noticeable 

 as they try dexterously to conceal themselves somewhere else in the fur with 

 their long legs armed with curved claws. Even after the death of their host, 

 which may have been carried along for hours, or even preserved in alcohol, a 

 few nycteribiids may still be found clinging to the hair. According to Rod- 

 ham and Bequaert's observations this parasitic fly lays no eggs, but the young 

 develops inside the body of the female. When the larva is full grown, the 

 pregnant female fly leaves the bat and deposits its larva on some object near 

 the sleeping-place of the host (wood, rocks, leaves, etc.). This larva changes 

 directly into a pupa, and after 12 to 16 days the adult emerges in a wingless 

 state; it has then to search for a new host or otherwise perishes rapidly. 



The other nycteribiids probably have similar habits, although very little 

 is known on that subject. 



A very interesting winged parasitic fly, Brachytarsina flavipennis Mac- 

 quart, was found on Miniopterus inflatus; it belongs to the Streblidse, a 



1 Observations sur la biologie de Cyclopodia greeffii Karsch. Bull. Soc. Zool. de France, XL, 1916, 

 pp. 248-262. 



