Abstract:
The population and community characteristics of ecto-parasites of
bats in Sri Lanka have not been previously examined. The aim of the present
study was to investigate these attributes based on incidence, density, prevalence
and species composition of ecto-parasites harboured by 3 species of
cave-dwelling microchiropteran hosts, Hipposideros lankadiva, H. speoris
and Rhinolophus rouxi. These bats were captured by hand or mist nets at four
previously selected sites, distributed in the wet, dry and intermediate zones
of Sri Lanka. Parasites were both hand-picked and brushed off the pelage
from slightly anaesthetised bats. Five species of bat flies including 2
nycteribiid flies (Phthiridium ceylonicum and P. phillipsi ), 3 streblid bat
flies, Brachytarsina modesta, B. pygialis and Raymondia pagoda rum and
mites offamilies laelapidae, spintumicidae and trombiculidae were recorded
on these hosts. With the exception of the two streblid flies and individuals
of the three mite families, the other ecto-parasites were host specific. The
highest incidence and density were recorded for laelapid and spintumicid
mites on H. lankadiva, while lowest values for these indices were also for the
same mites on R. rouxi in the intermediate zone. No significant difference
(2-way ANOV A; P> 0.05) in the prevalence of ecto-parasites could be
attributed either to the sex or the climatic zone of the host with respect to
R. rouxi and H. speoris. The ecto-parasite species diversity on H. speoris in
the dry zone was observed to be the highest and that on H. lankadiva in the
wet zone the lowest. A significant difference in the ecto-parasite assemblage
of all hosts were observed except between the populations on H. lankadiva
and H. speoris occurring sympatrically in the wet zone. It is concluded that
the prevalence of cere-parasites is neither dependant on the gender of the host
nor the climatic zones oftheir roosting sites.
