Mastoptera
 | This article may incorporate text from a large language model. (October 2025) |
| Mastoptera | |
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| Image of Mastoptera guimaraesi | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Diptera |
| Family: | Streblidae |
| Genus: | Mastoptera Wenzel, 1966 |
Mastoptera is a genus of parasitic bat flies in the family Streblidae, a group of highly specialized ectoparasites that exclusively parasitize bats. Members of this genus have evolved to maintain a close relationship with their bat hosts, feeding on their blood and depending on them for survival.
Biology
[edit]Mastoptera are small ectoparasites ranging in size from 0.73 to 1.29 mm (0.029 to 0.051 in). They are smallest species among the Strebilidae.[1] Females are typically longer than males.[2]
Host and mechanism
[edit]This genus exhibits a high degree of host specificity, relying exclusively on bats as their definitive hosts. They attach to the bat's fur or wing membranes to feed on blood. They typically remain on a single host throughout their life cycle, maintaining attachment into adulthood.[3][failed verification] Mastoptera species are known to parasitize tropical bat species.[4][failed verification]
Species
[edit]The genus Mastoptera currently consists of two confirmed species:[5][6]
- Mastoptera guimaraesi Wenzel, 1966
- Mastoptera minuta Wenzel, 1966
References
[edit]- ^ Dick, Carl W.; Miller, Jeremy A. (2010). "Strebilidae (Bat Flies)". In Brown, B.V.; Borkent, A.; Cumming, J.M.; Wood, D.M.; Woodley, N.E.; Zumbado, M.A. (eds.). Manual of Central American Diptera. Vol. 2. NRC Research Press. p. 103.
- ^ Dick, Carl Willard (2005). Ecology and host specificity of Neotropical bat flies (Diptera:Streblidae) and their Chiropteran hosts (PhD thesis). Texas Tech University.
- ^ Morand, Serge; Krasnov, Boris R.; Poulin, Robert, eds. (2006). Micromammals and Macroparasites: From Evolutionary Ecology to Management. SpringerLink Bücher. Tokyo: Springer-Verlag Tokyo. ISBN 978-4-431-36024-7.
- ^ Ascuntar-Osnas, Oscar; Montoya-Bustamante, Sebastián; González-Chávez, Baltazar (2020-01-01). "Records of Streblidae (Diptera: Hippoboscoidea) in a tropical dry forest fragment in Colombia". Biota Colombiana. 21 (1): 16–27. doi:10.21068/c2020.v21n01a02. ISSN 2539-200X.
- ^ "ADW: Mastoptera: CLASSIFICATION". animaldiversity.org. Retrieved 2025-04-28.
- ^ Dick, Carl W. (2013). "Review of the Bat Flies of Honduras, Central America (Diptera: Streblidae)". Journal of Parasitology Research. 2013 (1) 437696. doi:10.1155/2013/437696. ISSN 2090-0031. PMC 3619636. PMID 23634295.