The Ecology of Basilia hispida (Diptera:Nycteribiidae) in Malaysia

Basilia hispida Theodor, 1967 is the sole insectan ectoparasite of the flat-headed bats Tylonycteris pachypus (Temminck) and T. robustula Thomas (Microchiroptera, Vespertilionidae); these bats are confined to south and south-east Asia and both species are widely distributed and locally abundant in West Malaysia (Malaya). Basilia hispida has been recorded from a number of hosts other than Tylonycteris species (Theodor 1967) but it is likely that only Tylonycteris species, and possibly only T. pachypus, can be considered as true hosts. In order to understand the ecology of Basilia hispida it was necessary to study both its breeding biology and behaviour and the ecology of the hosts (see Marshall 1970; Medway the pupal instar lasts about 25 days, the presence of a host bat stimulating adults to emerge. Thus the total life cycle of B. hispida from the emergence of a female to the emergence of her first offspring takes about 39 (5 +9 + 25) days. Although pre-adult mortality could not be accurately ascertained it appears likely that the greater part of post-embryonic mortality occurs in the adult instar and is due to predation by the host.