Pupiparous
Guides
Hippobosca longipennis
dog fly, louse fly, blind fly
Hippobosca longipennis is an obligate blood-feeding ectoparasitic fly in the family Hippoboscidae. It primarily infests wild and domestic carnivores, particularly canids and hyaenids, but has been recorded on felids and occasionally humans. The species is larviparous, with females producing 10–15 larvae during a lifetime of four to five months. It serves as an intermediate host for the filarial nematode Dipetalonema dracunculoides (now Acanthocheilonema dracunculoides) and has been implicated as a potential vector for other pathogens. Native to Africa, it has spread to the Middle East, Asia, and parts of Europe through transport on zoo animals and domestic dogs.
Icosta
Icosta is a genus of louse flies (Hippoboscidae) comprising 52 described species, making it the largest genus in the family. All species are obligate ectoparasites of birds, feeding on blood. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution excluding Antarctica and is divided into six subgenera based on morphological characteristics. Members are pupiparous, with larvae developing internally and depositing fully formed pupae.
Melophagus
sheep ked, sheep louse fly, sheep tick
Melophagus is a genus of wingless, blood-feeding flies in the family Hippoboscidae. All species are obligate ectoparasites of cloven-hoofed mammals in the family Bovidae, particularly sheep, cattle, goats, and related wild species. The genus is native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa, but M. ovinus has been introduced worldwide with domestic sheep. These insects spend their entire life cycle on the host, with females giving birth to pupae that attach to wool fibers.
Microlynchia
Microlynchia is a genus of pupiparous louse flies (family Hippoboscidae) comprising four recognized species. All species are obligate ectoparasites of birds. The genus is distinguished from the closely related Pseudolynchia by the presence of minute ocelli and a differently shaped scutellum. Species within Microlynchia exhibit varying degrees of host specificity, with some records indicating associations primarily with Columbiformes (doves and pigeons) while others document broader host ranges across multiple avian orders.
Pseudolynchia
pigeon louse flies
Pseudolynchia is a genus of blood-feeding louse flies (Hippoboscidae) comprising five described species. All species are obligate ectoparasites of birds. The genus is best known for P. canariensis, commonly called the pigeon louse fly, which has been extensively studied as a vector of avian malaria parasites. Members exhibit the family-characteristic pupiparous reproduction, in which females retain and nourish larvae internally until depositing a fully formed prepupa.
Streblidae
streblid bat flies, bat flies
Streblidae are a family of highly specialized dipteran flies in the superfamily Hippoboscoidea, comprising approximately 237 species in 33 genera. They are obligate ectoparasites of bats, exhibiting extreme morphological adaptations including variable wing reduction (from fully winged to completely wingless), eye degeneration, and dorsoventrally flattened bodies. The family shows pronounced host specificity, with individual fly species typically restricted to particular bat host species. Streblidae are classified as pupiparous flies, meaning females retain and nourish larvae internally until they are deposited as fully developed prepupae.