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Review
. 2011 May;18(2):127-40.
doi: 10.1051/parasite/2011182127.

The Hippoboscidae (Insecta: Diptera) from Madagascar, with new records from the "Parc National de Midongy Befotaka"

N Rahola  1 , S M Goodman, V Robert
Affiliations
Review

The Hippoboscidae (Insecta: Diptera) from Madagascar, with new records from the "Parc National de Midongy Befotaka"

N Rahola et al. Parasite. 2011 May.

Abstract
in English, French

The Hippoboscidae or "louse-flies" is a family of pupiparous Diptera, which in their adult stage are ectoparasites of mammals and birds. This paper presents a comprehensive review of Malagasy Hippoboscidae. In total, amongst the 213 species of this family known worldwide, 14 have been reported in Madagascar, among which six are considered as endemic to the Malagasy region. In addition, data are presented from a collection of 17 Hippoboscidae obtained from seven species of forest-dwelling birds in the "Parc National de Midongy Befotaka", southeastern Madagascar, in 2003. The flies in this collection belong to three different species: Icosta malagasii (one), Ornithoica podicipis (ten) and Ornithoctona laticomis (six). The two former species were previously only known from single specimens in museum collections; the later species is distributed across much of the Afrotropical region and the records presented herein are the first for Madagascar. All the seven bird species are new hosts for hippoboscids. We present the first description of the male of Icosta malagasii. An illustrated dichotomous determination key of the 14 Malagasy species, based on morphological criteria only, is presented.

Les Hippoboscidae constituent une famille de Diptères pupipares dont le stade adulte est ectoparasite de mammifères et d’oiseaux. Nous présentons ici une revue de tous les Hippoboscidae connus de Madagascar. Parmi les 213 espèces de cette famille connues dans le monde, 14 ont été observées au moins une fois à Madagascar, parmi lesquelles six sont considérées comme endémiques de la région malgache. Nous présentons aussi la récolte de 17 Hippoboscidae adultes collectés de sept espèces d’oiseaux strictement forestiers en 2003 dans le Parc National de Midongy Befotaka, sud-est de Madagascar. Ces 17 hippobosques se répartissent en trois espèces : Icosta malagasii (un), Ornithoica podicipis (dix) et Ornithoctona laticornis (six). Les deux premières de ces espèces étaient précédemment connues par un unique spécimen enregistré dans les collections des muséums ; O. laticornis a une large répartition en zone Afrotropicale, mais il est trouvé pour la première fois à Madagascar. Chacune des sept espèces d’oiseaux constitue un nouvel hôte pour les hippobosques collectés. Nous proposons la première description du mâle d’Icosta malagasii. Nous présentons enfin une clé dichotomique illustrée, basée exclusivement sur des critères morphologiques, pour la détermination des 14 espèces malgaches.

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Figures

Plate 1.
Plate 1.
a. Icosta (Icosta) malagasii, ♂ in dorsal (left) and ventral (right) view; b. Icosta (Icosta) malagasii, ♂ wing.
Plate 2.
Plate 2.
a. Proparabosca alata, ♀ abdomen in dorsal (left) and ventral (right) view; b. Proparabosca alata, ♂ abdomen in dorsal (left) and ventral (right) view; c. Proparabosca alata, head in dorsal view; d. Proparabosca alata, wing; e. Allobosca crassipes, ♀ in dorsal (left) and ventral (right) view; f. Icosta (Ornithoponus) minor, ♀ wing; g. Icosta (Ornithoponus) minor, ♀ abdomen in dorsal (left) and ventral (right) view.
Plate 3.
Plate 3.
a. Ornithoica sp. head; b. Icosta sp. abdomen showing plates and spiracles in dorsal (left) and ventral (right) view; c. Icosta sp. tarsus I with the fives tarsomeres (Ta-III and Ta-IV are asymmetrical); d. Ornithoica sp. wing showing venation and cells (3bc, anal cell; a, axillary lobe; A, anal vein; R, radial; M, media; r-m, discal; im, postical; mcu, base of upper postical); e. Icosta sp. thorax in dorsal (left) view; f. tarsal claw simple; g. tarsal claw bidentate.
Plate 4.
Plate 4.
a. Icosta (Ardmoeca) ardeae ardeae, wing (A, anal vein; R, radial; M, media; im, postical); b. Icosta (Ardmoeca) ardeae ardeae, ♀ abdomen in dorsal (left) and ventral (right) view; c. Icosta (Ardmoeca) ardeae ardeae, ♂ abdomen in dorsal (left) and ventral (right) view; d. Icosta (Icosta) malagasii, ♀ head in front view; e. Icosta (Icosta) malagasii, ♀ wing (media cells only) with setulae distribution; f. Icosta (Icosta) malagasii, ♀ thorax in dorsal view; g. Icosta (Icosta) malagasii, ♀ abdominal apex in dorsal view; h. Icosta (Icosta) malagasii, ♀ abdominal apex in ventral view.
Plate 5.
Plate 5.
a. Ornithoctona laticornis, ♀ basal abdominal tergite; b. Ornithoctona laticornis, ♀ antero-lateral area of abdomen; c. Ornithoctona laticornis, ♀ abdominal apex in dorsal view; d. Ornithoctona laticornis, ♀ abdominal apex in ventral view; e. Ornithoica (Ornithoica) hovana, ♀ abdomen in dorsal (left) and ventral (right) view; f. Ornithoica (Ornithoica) hovana, ♂ abdomen in dorsal (left) and ventral (right) view; g. Ornithomya sorbens, ♀ abdomen in dorsal (left) and ventral (right) view; h. Ornithomya sorbens, ♀ wing (a, anal cell; A, anal vein; r, radial; m, media).
Plate 6.
Plate 6.
(from Falcoz’s 1929 drawings). a. Ornithoctona idonea, ♀ head; b. Ornithoctona idonea, ♀ mesosternal process; c. Ornithoctona idonea, ♀ abdomen in dorsal view.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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