Richness of ectoparasitic flies (Diptera: Streblidae) of bats (Chiroptera)-a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies in Brazil

Abstract

The family Streblidae consists of obligate hematophagous ectoparasites of bats. The richness of Streblidae may be affected by environmental and host-related variables, collection methods, and sampling effort. The purposes of this study were to list the Streblidae species recorded in Brazil, verify their distribution in the Brazilian biomes and states, and pinpoint the parameters that favored the greatest richness. Through queries in online databases and libraries, 86 publications were found containing records of 83 species in 24 genera. The state with the largest number of publications was São Paulo and Federal District presented the highest richness of Streblidae. The largest number of records of Streblidae species was in Cerrado biome. The meta-analyses utilizing 26 Brazilian inventories showed that the richness of Streblidae was positively correlated with the number of flies and richness and abundance of Phyllostomidae. We hope that the results of this study will contribute to a better understanding of the distribution of research on Streblidae in Brazil and confirming the specificity between Streblidae and Phyllostomidae.

Keywords: Biome; Host-parasite relationship; Inventories; Phyllostomidae; Specificity.