Van Helsing turned his gaze to a tiny, hairy fly clinging to a bat’s wing. “This is a bat fly, a parasite specialized in living on bats,” he explained.
“These flies are wingless and adapted to cling tightly to their hosts, feeding on their blood. While annoying to bats, they don’t usually cause serious harm.”
Van Helsing added, “Bat flies show a fascinating example of host-specific parasitism, perfectly evolved for their niche.”
Entomology Nugget 🧠
Bat flies belong to families Nycteribiidae and Streblidae, and are obligate parasites on bats.
Quiz Time!
Bat flies are:
A) Pollinators
B) Predators of mosquitoes
C) Parasites of bats
D) Aquatic insects
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