Batflies parasitic on some phyllostomid bats in southeastern Brazil: parasitism rates and host-parasite relationships

Ectoparasitic batflies were studied on 12 species of phyllostomid bats, by making 35 nightly collections of bats using mist nets at the "Panga" Ecological Reservation near Uberlandia, State of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil, from August 1989 to July 1990. Eleven species of Streblidae and one of Nycteribiidae were collected on 12 species of bats. Prevalence of ectoparasitic flies was lower than those reported by other authors for the New World and may be the result of the lack of caves in the study area, causing bats to roost in less favorable locations, forming smaller colonies. The fly, Trichobius joblingi Wenzel, was found on Carollia perspicillata (Linnaeus), showing preference for adult male bats. This could be explained by the predominance of males in the bat colonies, and by the fact that females rest in isolation during the reproductive period making them less exposed to the parasites. The streblid flies, Aspidoptera falcata Wenzel and Megistopoda proxima (Séguy), were found on Sturnira lilium (Geoffroy). A. falcata occurred mainly on young and adult females, whereas M. proxima did not show any preferences relative to the reproductive condition of the host. Ecological factors are important in determining differential numbers of parasites occurring on the different sexes, ages and reproductive state of the hosts.     

Bat flies on phyllostomid hosts in the Cerrado region: component community, prevalence and intensity of parasitism

Streblidae flies are specialised parasites of bat hosts, mainly phyllostomids. There is a high richness of streblids in the savannah-like Cerrado region; however, there is little quantitative data available in parasitological indices. Here, we describe the component community, prevalence and intensity of a streblid infestation on a phyllostomid bat assemblage in Serra da Bodoquena, a Cerrado region in Southwest Brazil. We conducted surveys by capturing and inspecting bat hosts during the seven-month period between October 2004-December 2005. All the ectoparasites found on the bats were collected in the field and then counted and identified in the laboratory. We captured 327 bats belonging to 13 species, of which eight species were parasitized by 17 species of streblids. Carollia perspicillata and Glossophaga soricina were infested with seven streblid species, whereas the other bat species were infested with four or fewer streblid species. Megistopoda proxima and Aspidoptera falcata flies were found on Sturnira lilium, and Trichobius joblingi was the most prevalent fly on C. perspicillata. Megistopoda aranea and Aspidoptera phyllostomatis were highly prevalent and had a high intensity of infestation on Artibeus planirostris. Overall comparisons of the available data suggest that the component communities of streblids vary more between the Cerrado and Atlantic Forest phytogeographical regions than between localities within the same phytogeographical region.     

Streblidae (Diptera) of phyllostomid bats from Minas Gerais,Brazil

Eight streblid species were collected from eight phyllostomid bat species, from April to November 1997, at or near the Reserve "Parque Estadual do Rio Doce", Minas Gerais, Southeastern Brazil. In total, 48 specimens of streblid were removed from 57 phyllostomid bats. Most of batflies species were associated with a single species of the host, and only Paratrichobius longicrus (Miranda Ribeiro) and Trichobius joblingi Wenzel were recorded on three bat species. Trichobius lonchophyllae Wenzel represents a new record for the Brazilian Southeastern region.     

Bat flies (Diptera: Streblidae, Nycteribiidae) parasitic on bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) at Parque Estadual da Cantareira, São Paulo, Brazil: parasitism rates and host-parasite associations

A total of 443 bat flies belonging to the families Nycteribiidae and Strelidae, were collected on 22 species of bats (Molossidae, Phyllostomidae, and Vespertilionidae) from Parque Estadual da Cantareira (S?o Paulo, Brazil), between January, 2000 and January, 2001. Eighteen new occurrences of bat flies were recorded on Anoura geoffroyi (Anastrebla caudiferae), Glossophaga soricina (A. caudiferae), Sturnira lilium (Trichobius phyllostomae, T. furmani, and Paraeuctenodes similis), Artibeus lituratus (A. caudiferae), A. fimbriatus (Megistopoda proxima), A. obscurus (Metelasmus pseudopterus), Myotis nigricans (M. proxima, M. aranea, Paratrichobius longicrus), M. ruber (Anatrichobius passosi, Joblingia sp.), M. levis (A. passosi), M. albescens (A. passosi, Basilia andersoni), and Histiotus velatus (M. aranea). Seven new occurrences were recorded for the state of S?o Paulo, increasing the range for T. tiptoni, T. furmani, M. proxima, Aspidoptera falcata, A. caudiferae, A. modestini and B. andersoni. The relationships between parasitism and host sex, reproductive stage, age hyperparasitism by fungi are discussed.     

Descriptive ecology of bat flies (Diptera: Hippoboscoidea) associated with vampire bats (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) in the cerrado of Central Brazil

We studied the ectoparasitic bat flies of three phyllostomid vampire bat species. Bats were collected monthly from April 2004-March 2005 in caves within the Cafuringa Environmental Protection Area in the Federal District of Brazil. A total of 1,259 specimens from six species in the Streblidae family were collected from 332 bats. High host affinity from the sampled bat fly species and high prevalence of bat flies confirms the primary fly-host associations (Strebla wiedemanni, Trichobius parasiticus and Trichobius furmani with Desmodus, Trichobius diaemi and Strebla diaemi with Diaemus and T. furmani with Diphylla). Male flies outnumbered females in several associations. Some of the observed associations (e.g., Strebla mirabilis with Desmodus and S. mirabilis, Trichobius uniformis and S. wiedemanni with Diphylla) were inconclusive and the causes of the associations were unclear. There are several explanations for these associations, including (i) accidental contamination during sampling, (ii) simultaneous capture of several host species in the same net or (iii) genuine, but rare, ecological associations. Although various species of vampire bats share roosts, have similar feeding habits and are close phylogenetic relatives, they generally do not share ectoparasitic streblid bat flies. T. diaemi and S. diaemi associations with Diaemus youngi have not been previously reported in this region.     

Against all odds: explaining high host specificity in dispersal-prone parasites

Host specificity gauges the degree to which a parasite occurs in association with a single host species. The measure is indicative of properties of the host and parasite, as well as their ecological and co-evolutionary relationships. Host specificity is influenced by the behavior and ecology of both parasite and host. Where parasites are active, vagile and coupled with hosts whose behavior and ecology brings the parasite into contact with many potential hosts, the likelihood of host switching is increased, usually leading to lowered specificity. Bat flies are specialized, blood-feeding ectoparasites of bats worldwide. In the bat fly - bat system, numerous properties interrupt the linkage of parasite to host and should decrease specificity. For bat flies these include high levels of activity, proclivity to abandon a disturbed host, the ability to fly, and a life-history strategy that includes a pupal stage decoupled from the host. For bats these include rapid, frequent and wide-ranging flight, high species richness encouraging inter-specific encounters during foraging, roosting and reproductive events, the utilization of large, durable roosting structures that are often shared with other bat species, and utilization of common entrance/exit flyways. The biological and ecological characteristics of bats and flies should together facilitate interspecific host transfers and, over time, lead to non-specific host-parasite associations. Large surveys of Neotropical mammals and parasites, designed to eliminate artifactual host-to-host parasite transfers, unequivocally demonstrate the high host specificity of bat flies. High degrees of specificity are remarkable in light of myriad host and parasite characteristics that ought to break down such specificity. Although host-specific parasites often have limited dispersal capability, this is not the case for some groups, including active, mobile bat flies. Host specificity in parasites with high dispersal capability is likely related to adaptive constraints. Among these may be a reproductive filter selecting for specificity based on mate availability, and co-evolved immunocompatibility where parasites use the same or similar immune-signaling molecules as their hosts to avoid immunological surveillance and response.     

Host characteristics do not affect community structure of ectoparasites on the fishing bat Noctilio leporinus (L., 1758) (Mammalia: Chiroptera)

Patterns of parasite abundance and prevalence are thought to be influenced by several host characteristics such as size, sex, developmental stage, and seasonality. We examined two obligatory ectoparasites of the bat Noctilio leporinus (L.) (Chiroptera, Noctilionidae) to test whether prevalence and abundance of Noctiliostrebla aitkeni Wenzel and Paradyschiria fusca Speiser (Diptera, Streblidae) are influenced by the host characteristics. During this survey, 2110 flies were collected. The total abundance was 1150 N. aitkeni and 950 P. fusca. The prevalence of both species was shown to be superior to 75% and neither host size, sex, reproductive stage nor season influenced significantly the variation of the observed values. N. aitkeni were more abundant than P. fusca in all seasons except winter. Both flies showed a significant seasonal variation in terms of abundance but host biological characteristics (host size, sex, and reproductive stage) did not play a significant role as structuring factors of the batflies component community.     

Community of bat flies (Streblidae and Nycteribiidae) on bats in the Cerrado of Central-West Brazil: hosts,aggregation, prevalence,infestation intensity,and infracommunities

Streblidae and Nycteribiidae are families of bloodsucking flies that parasitize bats exclusively. We studied the community of these flies in a Cerrado area in the Central-West Brazil. We captured 708 bats over 17 nights from October 2012 to March 2013. Forty-five per cent of the hosts were parasitized by 836 specimens of bat flies of 22 species. The most abundant flies were Trichobius joblingi on Carollia perspicillata, followed by Megistopoda aranea on Artibeus planirostris, and Strebla guajiro on C. perspicillata. All bat flies showed a high level of specificity for their hosts. Trichobius joblingi was the bat fly with the highest prevalence (80%) and mean intensity of infestation (3.5) on hosts with a representative sample size (n > 20). This result is likely related to the type of roosting (cavity) used by C. perspicillata, primary host of this fly species. Anoura caudifer hosted the largest infracommunities (n = 7). However, most bats were parasitized by a single fly species, suggesting a pattern in infestations. The aggregation index was high, indicating an unequal occurrence in parasite infestations. The majority of hosts were infested by few or no flies and few hosts were highly infested, showing a negative binomial distribution.     

Nested distributions of bat flies (Diptera: Streblidae) on Neotropical bats: artifact and specificity in host-parasite studies

We examined the structure of ectoparasitic bat fly infestations on 31 well‐sampled bat species, representing 4 Neotropical families. Sample sizes varied from 22 to 1057 bats per species, and bat species were infested by 4 to 27 bat fly species. Individual bats supported smaller infracommunities (the set of parasites co‐occurring on an individual host), ranging from 1 to 5 fly species in size, and no bat species had more than 6 bat fly species characteristically associated with it (its primary fly species). Nestedness analyses used system temperature (BINMATNEST algorithm) because it is particularly well‐suited for analysis of interaction networks, where parasite records may be nested among hosts and host individuals simultaneously nested among parasites. Most species exhibited very low system temperatures (mean 3.14°; range 0.14–12.28°). Simulations showed that nested structure for all 31 species was significantly stronger than simulated values under 2 of the 3 null hypotheses, and about half the species were also nested under the more stringent conditions of the third null hypothesis. Yet this structure disappears when analyses are restricted to “primary” associations of fly species (flies on their customary host species), which exclude records thought to be atypical, transient, or potential contaminants. Despite comprising a small fraction of total parasite records, such anomalies represent a considerable part of the statistical state‐space, offering the illusion of significant ecological structure. Only well understood and well documented systems can make distinctions between primary and other occurrence records. Generally, nestedness appears best developed in host‐parasite systems where infestations are long‐term and accumulate over time. Dynamic, short‐term infestations by highly mobile parasites like bat flies may appear to be nested, but such structure is better understood in terms of host specificity and accidental occurrences than in terms of prevalence, persistence, or hierarchical niche relations of the flies.     

Signs of a vector's adaptive choice: on the evasion of infectious hosts and parasite‐induced mortality

Laboratory and field experiments have demonstrated in many cases that malaria vectors do not feed randomly, but show important preferences either for infected or non‐infected hosts. These preferences are likely in part shaped by the costs imposed by the parasites on both their vertebrate and dipteran hosts. However, the effect of changes in vector behaviour on actual parasite transmission remains a debated issue. We used the natural associations between a malaria‐like parasite Polychromophilus murinus, the bat fly Nycteribia kolenatii and a vertebrate host the Daubenton's bat Myotis daubentonii to test the vector's feeding preference based on the host's infection status using two different approaches: 1) controlled behavioural assays in the laboratory where bat flies could choose between a pair of hosts; 2) natural bat fly abundance data from wild‐caught bats, serving as an approximation of realised feeding preference of the bat flies. Hosts with the fewest infectious stages of the parasite were most attractive to the bat flies that did switch in the behavioural assay. In line with the hypothesis of costs imposed by parasites on their vectors, bat flies carrying parasites had higher mortality. However, in wild populations, bat flies were found feeding more based on the bat's body condition, rather than its infection level. Though the absolute frequency of host switches performed by the bat flies during the assays was low, in the context of potential parasite transmission they were extremely high. The decreased survival of infected bat flies suggests that the preference for less infected hosts is an adaptive trait. Nonetheless, other ecological processes ultimately determine the vector's biting rate and thus transmission. Inherent vector preferences therefore play only a marginal role in parasite transmission in the field. The ecological processes rather than preferences per se need to be identified for successful epidemiological predictions.     

Bat fly species richness in Neotropical bats: correlations with host ecology and host brain

Patterns of ectoparasite species richness in mammals have been investigated in various terrestrial mammalian taxa such as primates, ungulates and carnivores. Several ecological or life traits of hosts are expected to explain much of the variability in species richness of parasites. In the present comparative analysis we investigate some determinants of parasite richness in bats, a large and understudied group of flying mammals, and their obligate blood-sucking ectoparasite, streblid bat flies (Diptera). We investigate the effects of host body size, geographical range, group size and roosting ecology on the species richness of bat flies in tropical areas of Venezuela and Peru, where both host and parasite diversities are high. We use the data from a major sampling effort on 138 bat species from nine families. We also investigate potential correlation between bat fly species richness and brain size (corrected for body size) in these tropical bats. We expect a relationship if there is a potential energetic trade-off between costly large brains and parasite-mediated impacts. We show that body size and roosting in cavities are positively correlated with bat fly species richness. No effects of bat range size and group size were observed. Our results also suggest an association between body mass-independent brain size and bat fly species richness. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Spatial and temporal complexities of reproductive behavior and sex ratios: a case from parasitic insects

Background

Sex ratios are important empirical data in predicting sex allocation strategy and selection in populations. Therefore, they should be sampled at crucial developmental steps before and after parental investment. In parasites with free-living (off-host) developmental stages the timing and method of sampling is not trivial, because ecological niches are frequently poorly known. Consequently, information is scarce for sex ratios of these parasites between conception and sexual maturity. Often, only data from adult parasites are available, which usually were collected from the parasite''s hosts. Generally, these ratios are assumed to represent operational sex ratios.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We here report three years of empirical data on population sex differentials from a bat ectoparasite (Trichobius frequens) with off-host developmental stages. At emergence these parasites exhibit a significant and seasonally stable female biased sex ratio. This bias is lost in the adult population on the roosting host, which shows sex ratios at equality. This is best explained by a behaviorally driven, sex-dependent mortality differential. Because consistently only subsets of females are available to mate, the operational sex ratio in the population is likely male biased. Host capture experiments throughout the day show a statistically significant, but temporary male excess in bat flies on foraging bats. This phenomenon is partly driven by the diurnal rhythms of female larviposition, and partly due to parasites remaining in the bat roost during foraging. Because most previous research in bat flies is based only on foraging bats, female contributions to physical sex ratios have been underestimated.

Conclusion/Significance

Our results highlight the importance of detailed natural history observations, and emphasize that ignoring the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of reproduction in any organism will lead to significant empirical sampling errors of sex ratios, and may obscure operational sex ratios.     

Laboulbeniales hyperparasites (Fungi,Ascomycota) of bat flies: Independent origins and host associations

The aim of this study was to explore the diversity of ectoparasitic fungi (Ascomycota, Laboulbeniales) that use bat flies (Diptera, Hippoboscoidea) as hosts. Bat flies themselves live as ectoparasites on the fur and wing membranes of bats (Mammalia, Chiroptera); hence this is a tripartite parasite system. Here, we collected bats, bat flies, and Laboulbeniales, and conducted phylogenetic analyses of Laboulbeniales to contrast morphology with ribosomal sequence data. Parasitism of bat flies by Laboulbeniales arose at least three times independently, once in the Eastern Hemisphere (Arthrorhynchus) and twice in the Western Hemisphere (Gloeandromyces, Nycteromyces). We hypothesize that the genera Arthrorhynchus and Nycteromyces evolved independently from lineages of ectoparasites of true bugs (Hemiptera). We assessed phylogenetic diversity of the genus Gloeandromyces by considering the LSU rDNA region. Phenotypic plasticity and position‐induced morphological adaptations go hand in hand. Different morphotypes belong to the same phylogenetic species. Two species, G. pageanus and G. streblae, show divergence by host utilization. In our assessment of coevolution, we only observe congruence between the Old World clades of bat flies and Laboulbeniales. The other associations are the result of the roosting ecology of the bat hosts. This study has considerably increased our knowledge about bats and their associated ectoparasites and shown the necessity of including molecular data in Laboulbeniales taxonomy.     

Sex-biased parasitism,host mass and mutualistic bat flies: an antagonistic individual-based network of bat-bat fly interactions

Individual-based networks provide the building blocks for community-level networks. However, network studies of bats and their parasites have focused only on the species level. Intrapopulation variation may allow certain host individuals to play important roles in the dynamics of the parasites. Therefore, we evaluated how the variation in host sex, body size, ectoparasite abundance and co-occurrence configure individual-based networks of the lesser bulldog bat Noctilio albiventris and bat flies. We expected bat individuals with greater body mass and forearms acting as the core in the network. We also expected males to play a more important role in the network. We sampled a network of N. albiventris bat individuals and their bat flies to describe the structure of an antagonistic individual-based network. We aimed to identify the most relevant bat individuals in the network, focusing on the implications inherent to each of the following approaches: (i) core-periphery organization; (ii) modularity; (iii) species level metrics; and (iv) the main ecological driver of bat individual roles in the network, using niche-based predictors (body mass, forearm and sex). We showed that a network of N. albiventris individuals and their bat flies had low modularity containing a persistent nucleus of individuals and bat flies with well-established interactions. Male individuals with greater body mass played an important role in the network, while for females neither mass nor forearm length were important predictors of their role in the network. Finally, individuals with a high abundance of Paradyschiria parvula played a core role. These results provide an alternative perspective to understand the patterns and mechanisms of interspecific interactions between parasites on the host, as well as sex-biased parasitism.     

Effects of host age, host density and parent age on reproduction of the filth fly parasite Urolepis rufipes (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae)

Urolepis rufipes Ashmead, a pteromalid wasp, was recently discovered parasitizing house fly and stable fly pupae in eastern Nebraska dairies. Studies have been conducted on the biology of this parasite to evaluate its potential as a biological control agent of stable flies (Stomoxys calcitrans (L.] and house flies (Musca domestica L.). House fly pupae were suitable as hosts for U.rufipes at all ages; however, significantly higher parasitism occurred on host pupae aged 96-120 h. Parasite-induced mortality (host mortality without progeny production) was higher than for other pteromalid parasites of filth flies under similar conditions. Parasitism increased with parasite--host ratio at 20 degrees C; however, the opposite was noted at 30 degrees C for parasite--host ratios ranging from 5:50 to 50:50. Fly eclosion decreased as parasite--host ratio increased at 20 degrees C, and no host eclosion occurred at the highest parasite--host ratios (20:50 and 50:50) at 30 degrees C. Females produced an average of 18.6 female and 7.6 male progeny. 88% of the progeny were produced during the first 6 days post parental eclosion. The short life span, low progeny emergence rate and high per cent host eclosion, in comparison with other parasite species, suggests that the Nebraska strain of U.rufipes may not an effective biological control agent of house flies.     

Parasitization of bats by bat flies (Streblidae) in fragmented habitats

Parasites represent a large fraction of the world's biodiversity. They control host population sizes and contribute to ecosystem functioning. However, surveys on species diversity rarely include parasitic species. Bats often present traits favoring parasite diversity, such as large home ranges, long life spans, and large colonies. The most conspicuous bat parasites are the highly host-specific, blood-sucking bat flies (Diptera: Streblidae, Nycteribiidae). Recent studies have found a direct effect of habitat alteration on the abundance of bat species. We expected, therefore, that changes in the host community in response to anthropogenic habitat modification will also result in changes in the associated parasite community. We captured bats in three different habitats in Central Panama between 2013 and 2015. We recorded information on prevalence and intensity of bat fly parasitization of the seven most commonly captured bat species. Prevalence and intensity were both significantly influenced by roost type, abundance, and host sex and age. We found that habitat variables and matrix type significantly influenced the prevalence and intensity of parasitization, while the direction of the responses was host species- and parasite species-specific. In general, roosting conditions and behavior of host bats appear to be fundamental in explaining changes in prevalence and intensity of parasitization between different habitat types, as bat flies are bound to the roost during their reproductive cycle. Habitat alterations affect next to the host community composition also the availability of possible roost structures as well as microclimatic conditions, which all three reflect in parasitization.     

Description of the external morphology of the puparia of eight species of bat flies (Diptera: Streblidae)

ABSTRACT

The Dipteran family Streblidae are ectoparasites of bats. These flies are viviparous and have an intrauterine larval life phase, a free-living sessile puparium phase and the adult obligate parasite. Here we describe the external morphology of the puparium of Aspidoptera phyllostomatis (Perty, 1833), Megistopoda aranea (Coquillett, 1899), M. proxima (Séguy, 1826), Noctiliostrebla morena Alcantara et al., 2019, Paradyschiria parvula Falcoz, 1931, Strebla consocia Wenzel, 1966, Trichobius joblingi Wenzel, 1966 and T. longipes (Rudow, 1871) and provide an identification key. We also describe the method we developed for collecting the puparia, which was done between April 2015 and August 2016. The characters that most differentiated the species were spiracles and ornaments.     

High host specificity of obligate ectoparasites

Abstract.  1. Host specificity is the degree to which a parasite species occurs in association with a host species.
2. The degree to which obligate ectoparasites are host specific has been debated, but effects of sampling contamination were usually not addressed. Data from a controlled mammal–ectoparasite survey were used to assess host specificity of an obligate group of ectoparasites – streblid bat flies.
3. Host–parasite associations were categorised as primary or non-primary. Non-primary host associations were evaluated against primary associations via proportional comparison.
4. Results indicate that host specificity was high, exceeding previous reports. Natural host transfers were rare.
5. Non-primary host associations were almost completely explained by disturbance transfers during sampling of the host or by contamination upon sampling the parasite. These conclusions likely hold for other taxa of obligate parasites.     

The host specificity of Gyrodactylus salaris Malmberg (Platyhelminthes, Monogenea): susceptibility of Oncovhynchus mykiss (Walbaum) under experimental conditions

An experimental epidemiological approach was chosen to study the survival and infection dynamics of Gyrodactylus salaris on juvenile rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss , in the laboratory. A marked heterogeneity in the host stock was apparent. The rainbow trout could be divided into three groups on the basis of parasite survival and infection pattern on individually isolated fish: (1) hosts receptive to initial parasite attachment, but unreceptive to parasite establishment and reproduction; (2) hosts moderately susceptible to parasite establishment and reproduction, but which, after a period of restricted parasite population growth, responded, recovered and eliminated the parasites; and (3) hosts very susceptible to parasite infection and reproduction, but which, after a period of significant parasite population growth, responded, recovered and eliminated the parasites. These different patterns are considered to reflect genetic differences between host individuals. Parasite aggregation was also shown to be an important factor in the outcome of the host-parasite association. The parasites were finally eliminated on the individually isolated hosts, but not on hosts maintained in batches and so host population size and immigration of fresh. previously unexposed, hosts appeared to be important for growth and maintenance of the parasite population. The parasite was not found to cause host mortality. Rainbow trout was a suitable host for G. salaris , capable of transmitting the parasite to new localities as a consequence of stocking programmes or migratory behaviour.     

Records of Bat Flies (Diptera: Nycteribiidae and Streblidae) in the Semi-Arid Caatinga in the State of Paraíba,Northeastern Brazil

One of the largest gaps in the knowledge of ectoparasitic flies of the families Nycteribiidae and Streblidae in Brazil is the northeastern region, where most states do not have any record. Here, we present the first records of those two bat fly families for the state of Paraíba. We recorded a total of 10 species of five genera parasitizing eight bat species of four families. Trichobius diphyllae Wenzel (Streblidae) was the most abundant species, found parasitizing Diphylla ecaudata (Phyllostomidae), and T. dugesioides dugesioides Wenzel, the second, found on Trachops cirrhosus (Phyllostomidae). Three species were recorded for the first time in northeastern Brazil and seven species are new for the semi-arid Caatinga. We collected T. galei Wenzel and T. pallidus (Curran) on Natalus macrourus (Natalidae) and Furipterus horrens (Furipteridae), respectively, two endangered bat species, and the species-specific relationship with their hosts points out to some degree of vulnerability. In addition, we present information on host-parasite relationship, and data that extend the known geographic distribution of some species.