Streblidae

Trichobius joblingi, from Frank et al. (2014).

Belongs within: Hippoboscidae.
Contains: Nycteribiidae.

The Streblidae, bat flies, are a group of blood-feeding flies parasitic on bats. Members include both winged and wingless forms. Most are ectoparasites except females of Ascodipteron that become embedded in the host's skin. The Neotropical Nycterophiliinae are laterally compressed and flea-like whereas other species are dorsoventrally or not compressed (Dick & Miller 2010).

Characters (from Dick & Miller 2010): Small, tan to light brown flies, body length 0.7–5.5 mm. Females generally slightly larger than males, sexual dimorphism in other non-reproductive structures rare. Head, body and legs generally densely hirsute with body form varying from strongly laterally compressed to dorsoventrally flattened to uncompressed. Eyes generally reduced. Ocelli absent. Head sometimes with ventral ctenidium. Thorax varied in shape, longitudinal median suture and transverse scutal suture various. Legs varied in length, thickness, setal form and chaetotaxy, ranging from short and stout to elongate. Tibiae without apical spurs; claws usually large and simple. Abdomen extensively membranous, corresponding to reduction or loss of sclerites. Macropterous, stenopterous, brachypterous or apterous.

<==Streblidae DM10
    |--+--Nycteribiidae KP10
    |  `--Brachytarsina [Brachytarsininae] KP10
    |       |--B. amboinensis CM91
    |       |--B. minuta CM70
    |       |--B. speiseri KP10
    |       `--B. uniformis CM91
    `--Trichobiinae DM10
         |  i. s.: Pseudostrebla WP87
         |         Eldunnia breviceps WP87, DM10
         |         Stizostrebla longirostris WP87, DM10
         |--+--Paratrichobius KP10
         |  |    |--P. americanus WP87
         |  |    `--P. longicrus DM10
         |  `--Megistopoda [Megistopodini] KP10
         |       |--M. aranea DM10
         |       `--M. proxima DM10
         `--Trichobius [Trichobiini] KP10
              |--T. caecus WP87
              |--T. corynorhini WP87
              |--T. costalimai K06
              |--T. joblingi DM10
              |--T. longipes K06
              |--T. macrophylli WP87
              |--T. major WP87
              |--T. mixtus K06
              |--T. perspicillatus K06
              `--T. sphaeronotus DM10

Streblidae incertae sedis:
  Ascodipteron [Ascodipteridae, Ascodipterinae] DM10
    |--A. africanum A71
    |--A. rhinolophi WP87
    `--A. speiserianum WP87
  Aspidoptera DM10
    |--A. buscki K06
    `--A. phyllotomatis DM10
  Trichobioides perspicillatus DM10
  Speiseria ambigua DM10
  Streblinae [Streblini] DM10
    |--Anastrebla Wenzel 1966 WP87
    `--Strebla DM10 [incl. Euctenodes WP87]
         |--S. consocia DM10
         |--S. diaemi DM10
         |--S. galindoi DM10
         |--S. guajiro DM10
         |--S. hertigi DM10
         |--S. mirabilis DM10 [=Euctenodes mirabilis K06]
         `--S. wiedemanni DM10
  Mastoptera DM10
    |--M. guimaraesi DM10
    `--M. minuta DM10
  Joblingia schmidti DM10
  Nycterophiliinae DM10
    |--Phalconomus puliciformis WP87, DM10
    `--Nycterophilia DM10
         |--N. coxata WP87
         `--N. parnelli DM10
  Paradyschiria DM10
  Metelasmus DM10
    |--M. pseudopterus DM10
    `--M. wenzeli DM10
  Paraeuctenodes DM10
    |--P. longipes DM10
    `--P. similis DM10
  Neotrichobius DM10
    |--N. delicatus DM10
    `--N. stenopterus DM10
  Noctiliostrebla aitkeni DM10
  Exastinion clovisi DM10
  Anatrichobius scorzai DM10
  Synthesiostrebla amorphochili DM10
  Parastrebla handleyi DM10
  Megistapophysis mordax DM10
  Xenotrichobius DM10
  Raymondia minuta WP87, CM91
  Nycteribosca RD77 [Nycteriboscinae WP87]
  Megastrebla O98

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[A71] Askew, R. R. 1971. Parasitic Insects. Heinemann Educational Books: London.

[CM70] Colless, D. H., & D. K. McAlpine. 1970. Diptera (flies). In: CSIRO. The Insects of Australia: A textbook for students and research workers pp. 656–740. Melbourne University Press.

[CM91] Colless, D. H., & D. K. McAlpine. 1991. Diptera (flies). In: CSIRO. The Insects of Australia: A textbook for students and research workers 2^nd ed. vol. 2 pp. 717–786. Melbourne University Press: Carlton (Victoria).

[DM10] Dick, C. W., & J. A. Miller. 2010. Streblidae (bat flies). In: Brown, B. V., A. Borkent, J. M. Cumming, D. M. Wood, N. E. Woodley & M. A. Zumbado (eds) Manual of Central American Diptera vol. 2 pp. 1249–1260. NRC Research Press: Ottawa.

[KP10] Kutty, S. N., T. Pape, B. M. Wiegmann & R. Meier. 2010. Molecular phylogeny of the Calyptratae (Diptera: Cyclorrhapha) with an emphasis on the superfamily Oestroidea and the position of Mystacinobiidae and McAlpine's fly. Systematic Entomology 35: 614–635.

[K06] Kwiecinski, G. G. 2006. Phyllostomus discolor. Mammalian Species 801: 1–11.

[O98] Oosterbroek, P. 1998. The Families of Diptera of the Malay Archipelago. Brill: Leiden.

[RD77] Richards, O. W., & R. G. Davies. 1977. Imms' General Textbook of Entomology 10^th ed. vol. 2. Classification and Biology. Chapman and Hall: London.

[WP87] Wenzel, R. L., & B. V. Peterson. 1987. Streblidae. In: McAlpine, J. F. (ed.) Manual of Nearctic Diptera vol. 2 pp. 1293–1301. Research Branch, Agriculture Canada.

Last updated: 9 July 2021.