Endoparasites

The leaf-nosed bats of the New World family Phyllostomatidae occur from the southwestern United States through tropical Central and South America. Members of this family are also found throughout the Antilles. The ecological associations of the species in this family seem to be rather broad; species are found in humid tropical to semiarid and arid subtropical environments. Diversity in feeding is readily apparent ranging from nectivores (Glossophaga), frugivores (Artibeus), sanguivores (Desmodus), to omnivores (Phyllostomus) (see review by Glass, 1970; Gardner, this volume). To understand better the biology of phyllostomatid bats, it is worthwhile to examine their parasites. The distribution of parasites, especially endohelminths, is governed largely by climate, distribution of intermediate hosts, feeding habits of the hosts, evolutionary age, physiology, and availability of the host species. Because parasites often evolve with their host, the systematic and phylogenetic ages of particular groups of hosts can be determined, in some cases, directly from the systematics and assemblages of their parasites if appropriate precautions are taken. The aims of this study were to collect and correlate as much information as possible concerning the endoparasites of the Phyllostomatidae and present problems for future work. Specifically, this report includes a systematic review of all parasitic species of Protozoa, Acanthocephala, Pentastomida, Platyhelminthes, and Nematoda occurring in the Phyllostomatidae; an addition of unpublished parasite collection records; and a preliminary appraisal of various factors that have influenced the dispersal and speciation in the endoparasites of leaf-nosed bats