Species in the dipteran families Nycteribiidae and Streblidae are obligate ectoparasites of bats. Adult flies feed on bat blood and larvae develop by adenotrophic vivipary. Recent molecular phylogenetic studies indicate that relationships both between and within these families are potentially not monophyletic (Dittmar et al. 2006). The complete host range for species of streblid bat flies is poorly known, but many species appear to be host specific or limited to closely related bats (Wenzel et al. 1966).

The subfamily Nycterophiliinae (Diptera: Streblidae) was proposed by Wenzel et al. (1966) and currently comprises of 6 species in 2 genera. There are 5 named species in the genus Nycterophilia: Nycterophilia coxata Ferris, Nycterophilia fairchildi Wenzel, Nycterophilia mormoopsis Wenzel, Nycterophilia natali Wenzel, and Nycterophilia parnelli Wenzel. Phalconomus puliciformis Wenzel is the only named species in the genus Phalconomus. Undescribed species have been reported in both genera by several authors (Whitaker and Easterla 1975, Wenzel 1976). The Nycterophiliinae are morphologically distinct from the other streblids, and Wenzel et al. (1966) suggested that the subfamily could be a separate family. Modern molecular workers have not included the Nycterophiliinae in their phylogenies (Dittmar et al. 2006), so the taxonomic status of the subfamily is still unknown.

Several bat species are restricted to the Caribbean, and Nycterophilia spp. have been reported on them (e.g., Gannon and Willig 1994, Swanepoel and Genoways 1983), yet no species of Nycterophiliinae are known to be restricted to the Caribbean. The Antillean fruit-eating bat, Brachyphylla cavernarum Gray, is an example of a bat restricted to the Caribbean. It is found from Puerto Rico through the Lesser Antilles (Swanepoel and Genoways 1983) and was previously reported from St. Kitts (Pedersen et al. 2005). Nycterophilia coxata was reported from B. cavernarum from the British West Indies (Webb and Loomis 1977); however, the criteria used for the identification of the parasite were not discussed nor were voucher specimens mentioned. Nycterophilia coxata was the only member of the genus Nycterophilia until the revision by Wenzel (1976). Based on the collection and publication dates, Webb and Loomis (1977) were probably unaware of the new species in the genus Nycterophilia..

We describe a new species of Nycterophilia from B. cavernarum caught on St. Kitts as part of an ongoing project to study vectors and vector-borne pathogens in local bats.

Materials and Methods

Mist nets were used to capture bats on St. Kitts between November 2010 and September 2011. Several sites in the southern half of the island of St. Kitts were sampled; nets were placed over or near fresh water sources and were opened for 3 - 4 h following sunset. All work was done in accordance with an approved Institutional Animal Care and Use protocol.

Bats were identified phenotypically, and identification was confirmed using morphometric measurements (weight, forearm length, and tibia length). Each bat was carefully examined for ectoparasites, and adult flies were collected and preserved in 95% ethanol. A blood sample was also collected from each bat, via the brachial vein, and then bats were released unharmed. DNA was extracted from blood samples and the sequence of the cytochrome B oxidase gene (GenBank accession JQ915204) was further used to confirm species identity.

All flies were examined with a dissecting microscope (Leica 6E). Five specimens (3 females/2 males) were pierced with a minuten-pin and cleared in hot 85% lactic acid for 5 h. The cleared specimens were cleaned in 70% ethanol and slide mounted in Hoyer's solution. Slide mounted specimens were examined with an Olympus BH-2 microscope. Key morphologic features were photographed with a Jenoptik ProgRes Speed XT Core 5 digital camera, montaged with ProgRes CapturePro 2.8.0, and saved as a JPEG. The morphological terminology follows that of Wenzel et al. (1966) and Wenzel (1976).

Diagnosis

Nycterophilia bilineata Reeves, Loftis, Beck

(Figs. 1–2)

Etymology: Bilineata refers to the two lines of setae on the second ventral abdominal sclerite.

Nycterophilia bilineata shares the characteristics of other Nycterophilia spp. as described by Ferris (1916) and later expanded by Wenzel et al. (1966). The wings have only 2 well-developed veins, the wing tip is notched, the thorax is compressed and convex, the legs are relatively short with the posterior femora just reaching the end of the body, and the abdomen has 3 dorsal sclerotized segments and 6 - 7 sclerotized ventral segments. The postgenae has 4 - 5 pronounced spinelets that are similar to those of N. coxata, N. parnelli, and N. natali. Nycterophilia bilineata can be differentiated from N. parnelli and N. fairchildi based on the dorso-apical spur of the hind coxa (Fig. 1), which is conspicuous and longer than the width of the coxa in Nycterophilia bilineata but is short and nipple-like in N. parnelli and N. fairchildi. The spur in N. mormoopsis is essentially straight, but the spur in N. bilineata is curved (Fig. 1). The dorso-apical spur of the hind coxa of N. coxata is highly variable (Wenzel 1976), but the curvature and thickness of the spur in N. bilineata is greater than that of N. coxata. The dorso-apical spur of the hind coxa of Nycterophilia bilineata most closely resembles N. natali (Fig. 1). The spur in N. natali is similar in morphology and the range of shapes in the 2 species overlaps. There are medial and marginal lines of setae on the second ventral abdominal sclerite of Nycterophilia bilineata (Fig. 2) but only 1 marginal line of seta in N. natali and N. coxata. Nycterophilia bilineata can be differentiated from P. puliciformis by the presence of eyes, which are lacking in Phalconomus.

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Holotype: Male. Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint George Basseterre Parish, house, N 17°19.222 W 62°43.615, ex juvenile Brachyphylla cavernarum (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae), 28 November 2010, in the C. A. Triplehorn Insect Collection at The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.

Paratypes: Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint George Basseterre Parish, house, N 17°19.222 W 62°43.615, ex juvenile Brachyphylla cavernarum, 4 males, 4 females, 28 November 2010, in the C. A. Triplehorn Insect Collection at The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA, and Clemson University Arthropod Collection, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA, 8 April 2011, 1 female, Museum of Natural History, Collection of Arthropods at the University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.

Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Thomas Middle Island Parish, Wingfield River (lower), N17 ° 19.646 W 62 ° 47.946, ex Brachyphylla cavernarum. 1 male, 3 June 2011, 1 female, 28 January 2011, in the C. A. Triplehorn Insect Collection at The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.