Laboulbeniales Hyperparasites (Fungi, Ascomycota) of Bat Flies: Independent Origins and Host Associations

The aim of this study was to explore the diversity of ectoparasitic fungi (Ascomycota, Laboulbeniales) that use bat flies (Diptera, Hippoboscoidea) as hosts. Bat flies themselves live as ectoparasites on the fur and wing membranes of bats (Mammalia, Chiroptera); hence this is a tripartite parasite system. Here, we collected bats, bat flies, and Laboulbeniales, and conducted phylogenetic analyses of Laboulbeniales to contrast morphology with ribosomal sequence data. Parasitism of bat flies by Laboulbeniales arose at least three times independently, once in the Eastern Hemisphere () and twice in the Western Hemisphere (, ). We hypothesize that the genera and evolved independently from lineages of ectoparasites of true bugs (Hemiptera). We assessed phylogenetic diversity of the genus by considering the LSU rDNA region. Phenotypic plasticity and position-induced morphological adaptations go hand in hand. Different morphotypes belong to the same phylogenetic species. Two species, and , show divergence by host utilization. In our assessment of coevolution, we only observe congruence between the Old World clades of bat flies and Laboulbeniales. The other associations are the result of the roosting ecology of the bat hosts. This study has considerably increased our knowledge about bats and their associated ectoparasites and shown the necessity of including molecular data in Laboulbeniales taxonomy.