NEW RECORDS ON DISTRIBUTION AND HOSTS OF Brachytarsina cucullata AND Raymondia pseudopagodarum (DIPTERA: STREBLIDAE) IN VIETNAM

Abstract

Bat flies are highly specialized ectoparasites of the superfamily Hippoboscoidea and only associate with bats. They were rarely documented in Vietnam due to limited study in the country. Between 2017 and 2020, we conducted a series of field surveys in six localities in northern and central Vietnam with an emphasis on bat flies. Bats were captured using mist nets, harp traps, and handnets then morphologically identified following literatures relevant to the bats of each study site. Bat flies were collected using fine forceps and preserved in 70% alcohol for morphological identification. Twelve individuals of Brachytarsina cucullata and thirty-five individuals of Raymondia pseudopagodarum of the family Streblidae were collected over the surveys. Of which, B. cucullata is new to two localities in northern Vietnam (Nham Duong Mountain Area and Ha Long Bay) while R. pseudopagodarum is new to five localities in both northern and southern Vietnam (Bach Ma National Park, Cat Ba National Park, Ha Long Bay, Cu Lao Cham Island and Sop Cop Nature Reserve). Within Vietnam, B. cucullata and R. pseudopagodarum were only recorded from Cat Ba National Park and Vu Quang National Park, respectively. Notably, the previous records from Vietnam did not include either description or illustration. We here provide brief descriptions and illustrated photos of each species for morphological identification of these two bat fly species. A map showing the distributional records of each species is also included in this paper.