Megistopoda aranea ( Coquillett, 1899 )

Megistopoda aranea ( Coquillett, 1899) View in CoL

Pterellipsis aranea Coquillett, 1899: 334 View in CoL .

Megistopoda aranea: Wenzel et al., 1966: 541-542 View in CoL .

Material examined: Misiones: Estancia Prates, Barra Concepción, 28°05′S, 55°32′W, 05.iii.2011, 1 ♀ ( CMLA 725 ) and 1 ♂ ( CMLA 726 ) on Artibeus fimbriatus ♀ ( FMI 271 ) GoogleMaps ; 27.iii.2011, 1 ♀ ( CMLA 728 ) and 1 ♂ ( CMLA 727 ) on A. fimbriatus ♀ ( FMI 285 ) ; Parque Provincial Teyú Cuaré , 27°17′S, 55°35′W, 11.xii.2009, (4) 2 ♀ ( CMLA 732 , 733 ) and 2 ♂ ( CMLA 730 , 731 ) on A. lituratus ♀ ( FMI 151 ) GoogleMaps ; Reserva Ecológica Tupá Puojhá ( Fachinal ), 27°37′S, 55°43′W, 30.iv.2010, 1 ♀ ( CMLA 729 ), on A. fimbriatus ♀ ( FMI 20 ) GoogleMaps .

Identification: This species is easily distinguishable from M. proxima by its long and narrow wings with two veins that unite with the costa; very long legs, including a hind femur nearly as long as the entire body; prescutum with very weak setae along the median suture; and lateral margins along the longitudinal membranous suture that include one or two stronger setae.

Comments: This species had only been previously identified in one locality in Corrientes province (Autino et al., 2009) and several in Misiones, having recently been cited for the Osununú-Teyú Cuaré AICOM (Area of Importance for the Conservation of Bats) (Autino et al., 2018). It has also been cited for some localities in the northwestern Argentina ( Jujuy, Salta and Tucumán) (Autino et al., 1999, 2009).

The known host records for Megistopoda aranea are mainly from bats of the family Phyllostomidae , as Artibeus fimbriatus , A. lituratus , A. planirostris (Spix, 1823) and Desmodus rotundus É. Geoffroy, 1810 ( García, 1959; Barquez et al., 1991; Autino et al., 1992, 1998, 1999, 2000b, 2009, 2018).