Nycteribiidae is a family of the trueflysuperfamilyHippoboscoidea. Together with their close relatives theStreblidae, they are known as "bat flies". As the latter do not seem to be amonophyletic group, it is conceivable that bat flies cannot be united into a singlefamily.[1]
They are flattened, spiderlike flies without eyes or wings, and as such bear very little resemblance to other Dipterans. These flies are seldom encountered by general collectors, as they almost never leave the bodies of their hosts. Both males and females take blood meals, thus qualifying as parasites. Most species are highly host-specific. The family is primarily found in theOld Worldtropics; a few of the 274[2] knownspecies occur in theNeotropics and inEurope.
One of the key morphological features of Nycteribiidae is their highly reduced compound eyes. Many species of Nycteribiidae contain no visible eyes or contain only rudimentary eye spots. None of the species contain wings. They have backward folded legs that resemble those of spiders and a dorsally inserted head.[3]
^Kirk-Spriggs, Ashley H., Marion Kotrba, and Robert S. Copeland. "Further details of the morphology of the enigmatic African fly Mormotomyia hirsuta Austen (Diptera: Mormotomyiidae)." African Invertebrates 52.1 (2011): 145-165.
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