Determinants of the composition of ectoparasitic flies of bats (Diptera: Streblidae, Nycteribiidae) in the Amazon and Cerrado landscape scales and ecotonal areas

The high diversity of bats in the Neotropics is primarily associated with various ectoparasite species on their bodies. Interactions between these animals need to be comprehensively investigated at landscape scales, focusing on understanding the patterns of diversity of species. We sought to evaluate, througt bat captures and ectoparasite sampling, the determinants of the composition of ectoparasitic flies species present in bats in in the Amazon and Cerrado biomes and ecotone areas. We used a generalized dissimilarity model (GDM) to verify what factors explained the composition of ectoparasitic flies of bats using landscape metrics, geographic distance, biome, and host composition. Twenty-four bat species haboured a total of 33 species of ectoparasitic flies. Host composition was the best predictor of fly composition, followed by the environmental variables and by biome. Geographical distance presented negligible effects. Studies on large scales tend to reveal a wide diversity of ectoparasitic flies. Host composition, as the best predictor of fly composition, may be associated with interspecific characteristics among species. We recommend studies focusing on the landscape to understand better the parasitic associations of bats and their distribution across environments. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00436-023-07886-4.