Streblidae
Encyclopedia
Streblidae are flies
in the superfamily
Hippoboscoidea
, and together with their relatives the Nycteribiidae
are known as "bat flies". They are winged or wingless ectoparasites of bat
s, and often have long legs. They appear to be host-specific, with different species
of bat flies occurring only on particular species of bat hosts, sometimes with multiple species of flies sharing a host bat.
are divided among roughly 33 genera
and 5 subfamilies. But as it seems, the group is not monophyletic as traditionally understood. Rather, it seems to unite some very ancient lineages of bat flies (e.g. Nycteriboscinae) and some (e.g. Trichobiinae) that are far more advanced and about as distant from the former as the Nycteribiidae
. Several authors favor splitting the family into an Old World
(Ascodipterinae and Nycteriboscinae) and a New World
(all others) one. The former would be named Ascodipterinae and the latter would retain the name Streblidae. Alternatively, Streblidae and Nycteribiidae might be united as a monophyletic family containing all bat flies.
Subfamilies are here listed in presumed order of most ancient to most recently evolved. Selected genera
are also given, sorted alphabetically as too little is known about their interrelationships.
Fly
True flies are insects of the order Diptera . They possess a pair of wings on the mesothorax and a pair of halteres, derived from the hind wings, on the metathorax...
in the superfamily
Taxonomic rank
In biological classification, rank is the level in a taxonomic hierarchy. Examples of taxonomic ranks are species, genus, family, and class. Each rank subsumes under it a number of less general categories...
Hippoboscoidea
Hippoboscoidea
Hippoboscoidea is a superfamily of Calyptratae. The flies in this superfamily are blood-feeding obligate parasites of their hosts. Five families are often placed here:* Glossinidae* Hippoboscidae...
, and together with their relatives the Nycteribiidae
Nycteribiidae
Nycteribiidae of the true fly superfamily Hippoboscoidea are known as "bat flies", together with their close relatives the Streblidae. As the latter do not seem to be a monophyletic group, it is conceivable to unite all bat flies in a single family....
are known as "bat flies". They are winged or wingless ectoparasites of bat
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
s, and often have long legs. They appear to be host-specific, with different species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of bat flies occurring only on particular species of bat hosts, sometimes with multiple species of flies sharing a host bat.
Systematics
The 237 or so speciesSpecies
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
are divided among roughly 33 genera
Genera
Genera is a commercial operating system and development environment for Lisp machines developed by Symbolics. It is essentially a fork of an earlier operating system originating on the MIT AI Lab's Lisp machines which Symbolics had used in common with LMI and Texas Instruments...
and 5 subfamilies. But as it seems, the group is not monophyletic as traditionally understood. Rather, it seems to unite some very ancient lineages of bat flies (e.g. Nycteriboscinae) and some (e.g. Trichobiinae) that are far more advanced and about as distant from the former as the Nycteribiidae
Nycteribiidae
Nycteribiidae of the true fly superfamily Hippoboscoidea are known as "bat flies", together with their close relatives the Streblidae. As the latter do not seem to be a monophyletic group, it is conceivable to unite all bat flies in a single family....
. Several authors favor splitting the family into an Old World
Old World
The Old World consists of those parts of the world known to classical antiquity and the European Middle Ages. It is used in the context of, and contrast with, the "New World" ....
(Ascodipterinae and Nycteriboscinae) and a New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
(all others) one. The former would be named Ascodipterinae and the latter would retain the name Streblidae. Alternatively, Streblidae and Nycteribiidae might be united as a monophyletic family containing all bat flies.
Subfamilies are here listed in presumed order of most ancient to most recently evolved. Selected genera
Genera
Genera is a commercial operating system and development environment for Lisp machines developed by Symbolics. It is essentially a fork of an earlier operating system originating on the MIT AI Lab's Lisp machines which Symbolics had used in common with LMI and Texas Instruments...
are also given, sorted alphabetically as too little is known about their interrelationships.
- Subfamily Brachytarsininae SpeiserPaul Gustav Eduard SpeiserPaul Gustav Eduard Speiser was a German entomologist who specialised in Diptera.He was first a physician then a Medizinalrat, a medical adviser to a district.He worked on world Diptera, especially...
1900 (sometimes Nycteriboscinae) - Genus Brachytarsina MacquartJustin Pierre Marie MacquartJustin Pierre Marie Macquart was a French entomologist specialising in the study of Diptera. He worked on world species as well as European and described many new species.-Early years:...
, 1851 - Genus Megastrebla Maa, 1971
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- Subgenus Aoroura
- Subgenus Megastrebla Maa, 1971
- Genus Raymondia Frauenfeld, 1855
- Genus Raymondiodes Jobling, 1954
- Subfamily Ascodipterinae Monticelli 1898
- Genus Ascodipteron Adensamer, 1896
- Genus Maabella Hastriter & Bush, 2006
- Genus Paraascodipteron Advani & Vazirani, 1981
- Subfamily Nycterophiliinae Wenzel, 1966
- Genus Nycterophilia Ferris, 1916
- Genus Phalconomus Wenzel, 1984
- Subfamily Streblinae Speiser, 1900
- Genus Anastrebla Wenzel, 1966
- Genus Metelasmus CoquillettDaniel William CoquillettDaniel William Coquillett was an American entomologist who specialised in Diptera. He wrote Revision of the dipterous family Therevidae...
, 1907 - Genus Paraeuctenodes Pessôa & Guimarães, 1937
- Genus Strebla WiedemannChristian Rudolph Wilhelm WiedemannChristian Rudolph Wilhelm Wiedemann , was a German physician, historian, naturalist and entomologist...
, 1824 - Subfamily Trichobiinae Jobling, 1936
- Genus Anatrichobius Wenzel, 1966
- Genus Aspidoptera CoquillettDaniel William CoquillettDaniel William Coquillett was an American entomologist who specialised in Diptera. He wrote Revision of the dipterous family Therevidae...
, 1899 - Genus Eldunnia Curran, 1934
- Genus Exastinion Wenzel, 1966
- Genus Joblingia Dybas & Wenzel, 1947
- Genus Mastoptera Wenzel, 1966
- Genus Megistopoda MacquartJustin Pierre Marie MacquartJustin Pierre Marie Macquart was a French entomologist specialising in the study of Diptera. He worked on world species as well as European and described many new species.-Early years:...
, 1852 - Genus Megistapophysis Dick & Wenzel, 2006
- Genus Neotrichobius Wenzel & Aitken, 1966
- Genus Noctiliostrebla Wenzel, 1966
- Genus Paradyschiria Speiser, 1900
- Genus Parastrebla Wenzel, 1966
- Genus Paratrichobius Costa Lima, 1921
- Genus Pseudostrebla Costa Lima, 1921
- Genus Speiseria Kessel, 1925
- Genus Stizostrebla Jobling, 1939
- Genus Synthesiostrebla Townsend, 1913
- Genus Trichobioides Wenzel, 1966
- Genus Trichobius Gervais, 1844
- Genus Xenotrichobius Wenzel, 1976
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