Imagine a fly that decides flying is overrated. Instead, it finds a bat, sheds its wings, drops its legs, and burrows into the host’s skin for the rest of its days. This is the reality of the genus Ascodipteron, a group of highly specialised bat flies that challenge our basic definition of what an insect looks like.
In a recent study published in the open-access journal ZooKeys, researchers led by Haoran Sun of Beijing Forestry University have identified a new member of this strange family in the Yunnan Province of China. It brings some fascinating, if slightly macabre, biological quirks to the table.
The newly discovered species has been named Ascodipteron euryale and was found on the lesser brown horseshoe bat, known scientifically as Rhinolophus stheno. This discovery is particularly significant because it represents the first time a fly from this genus has been documented on this specific species of bat. These flies often show an incredibly narrow host range and a strict preference for where they live on the bat’s body. In the case of Ascodipteron euryale, they prefer the base of the bat’s ear, the tragus, or the ear pinna.
Ascodipteroneuryale sp. nov. and its host Rhinolophusstheno. (Image credit: Haoran Sun et al.).
The life of a female Ascodipteron fly is especially interesting. After a very brief period of seeking out a host, the female undergoes a radical transformation into what scientists call a neosome. It essentially becomes an endoparasite, embedded so deeply in the bat’s tissue that often only its posterior end is visible, protruding slightly so it can breathe and release larvae. This particular species was discovered in Xianren Cave, located in the Simao District of Pu’er City, at an elevation of 2428 meters above sea level.
Ascodipteroneuryale sp. nov., ex. R.stheno – the top two images display the whole neosome. (Image credit: Haoran Sun et al.).
What makes Ascodipteron euryale stand out from its 17 known cousins? The most defining physical trait is the shape of its mesosternum, a part of its underside, which features gently rounded lobes on the back corners. Further, unlike many related flies that are covered in soft skin and easily removed, these neosomes were found encased in a fibrous cyst or shell – this is a reaction from the host bat’s own immune system, creating a protective barrier that makes the parasite very difficult to extract.
Ascodipteroneuryale sp. nov., ex. R.stheno, head and thorax. (Image credit: Haoran Sun et al.).
The naming of the species is a clever nod to Greek mythology. The host bat, Rhinolophus stheno, shares a name with Stheno, one of the three Gorgon sisters who could turn onlookers to stone. The researchers decided to name the new fly euryale after Euryale, another of the Gorgon sisters. In the myths, these two sisters were immortal, and the authors note that this name choice reflects their hope that the deep-rooted biological association between this specific bat and its resident fly continues long into the future.
This research adds a sixth species of Ascodipteron to the records in China, emphasising the impressive biodiversity hidden within the country’s cave systems. It also raises new questions for future study, particularly regarding why some of these flies trigger the formation of fibrous shells while others do not. For now, Ascodipteron euryale remains a testament to the strange and highly specific ways life finds a niche (even if that niche is the inside of a bat’s ear)!
Lunar New Year is a celebration of the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year on the lunar calendar. As the most important holiday in China, it is also widely celebrated across Korea, Vietnam, and other countries with a substantial Chinese diaspora.
In celebration of 2026 as the Year of the Horse, we reviewed our journals for horse-related studies. While our recent publications do not focus on horses themselves, we have highlighted several fascinating species that share an equine connection in their names.
2026 may be the Year of the Fire Horse, but we start our series with a creature of the opposite element: the seahorse!
Hippocampusjapapigu in situ, Hejie, Kenting, Taiwan. (Photo credit: Chao-Tsung Chen).
Monitoring tiny, cryptic pygmy seahorses can be costly and logistically challenging. To overcome this, researchers from Taiwan turned to citizen science, gathering photographs from divers and underwater photographers via social media. Five species were identified, including two never before recorded in the region.
Among them is the charismatic “Japan pig” seahorse, Hippocampus japapigu, originally described from Japan in the open-access journal ZooKeys.
At the time, only seven pygmy seahorses had been identified globally. Documenting five of them in Taiwan established the region among the world’s biodiversity hotspots for these miniature fish.
But seven did not remain the final count for long. In Chinese tradition, eight is considered an auspicious number, associated with prosperity and good fortune.
Enter Hippocampus nalu – the eighth recognized pygmy seahorse species!
Hippocampusnalu in situ, Sodwana Bay, South Africa at 14 m depth. (Photo credit: Richard Smith, oceanrealmimages.com).
It is also the first confirmed true pygmy seahorse recorded from Africa. Measuring just 20 mm, this tiny species was discovered at depths of 17 m on a sandy coral reef in Sodwana Bay, South Africa.
Seahorses also feature in a remarkable Mediterranean story…
A study published in Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria documented a stable and conspicuous population of the long-snouted seahorse, Hippocampus guttulatus, in a highly polluted coastal lagoon in the Ionian Sea.
Hippocampus guttulatus observed during the diving visual census carried out in the Mar Piccolo of Taranto (Ionian Sea), 2011-2013. (Photo credit: Francesco Tiralongo and Rossella Baldacconi).
Through three years of diving surveys, amounting to 69 hours underwater, researchers recorded 196 sightings. The seahorses showed a clear preference for artificial hard substrates, while only a few individuals were found in algal meadows.
Despite environmental fluctuations and pollution, the population persists. In the Year of the Horse, we wish you the same resilience and strength!
Fish is a traditional Lunar New Year dish, symbolising abundance and good fortune. While you won’t find a horsefish at the markets of Hainan, China, you can certainly spot a ponyfish.
Researchers have reported the first confirmed record of Aurigequula striata in Chinese waters, based on specimens collected at a fish market in Sanya, Hainan Island.
Aurigequulastriata, left lateral view. (Photo credit: Jia-Jie Chen).
Live seafood markets have long proven to be unexpected hotspots for scientific discovery – just like the remarkable giant isopod Bathynomus vaderi described from market-purchased material in Vietnam.
As fresh as the seafood on display, this discovery was published in late January 2026 in ZooKeys. Newly collected specimens of Aurigequula fasciata enabled detailed morphological and genomic analyses, including the first complete mitochondrial genomes for both species and new phylogenetic insights into the family Leiognathidae.
Aurigequulafasciata, left lateral view. (Photo credit: Jia-Jie Chen).
Fittingly, we close with a horseshoe bat once feared lost. Its name bridges our equine theme with a traditional Chinese symbol: the word for bat (fú, 蝠) is a homophone for blessing (fú, 福), representing happiness and prosperity.
Hill’s horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hilli), listed as Critically Endangered and unseen since 1981, was rediscovered in Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda, after 40 years.
Rhinolophushilli, first observation of this species since 1981 in Nyungwe National Park. (Photo credit: Flanders, et al.).
Through cave surveys, forest capture efforts, and long-term acoustic monitoring, researchers confirmed the survival of this elusive species, bringing renewed hope for its conservation.
As we gallop into 2026, may the Year of the Horse bring you strength, endurance, and a stable path toward success. On behalf of Pensoft, we wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!
Flanders J, Frick WF, Nziza J, Nsengimana O, Kaleme P, Dusabe MC, Ndikubwimana I, Twizeyimana I, Kibiwot S, Ntihemuka P, Cheng TL, Muvunyi R, Webala P (2022) Rediscovery of the critically endangered Hill`s horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hilli) and other new records of bat species in Rwanda. Biodiversity Data Journal 10: e83546. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.10.e83546
Guest blog post by Manfredo A. Turcios-Casco, José G. Martínez-Fonseca, and Bruce Miller
Honduras has officially documented, for the first time, the presence of Cormura brevirostris—a little-known bat species from the Emballonuridae family, recognizable by a unique vocal pattern of three short calls that rise in frequency. The discovery was made through acoustic monitoring in the remote La Moskitia region of eastern Honduras, an area with historically limited research on bats.
Cormura brevirostris. Photo by José G. Martínez-Fonseca
The confirmation comes from two field expeditions carried out between December 2024 and May 2025 in the community of Mavita and within the Warunta Conservation Area, both located in the department of Gracias a Dios. These sites form a mosaic of forests, river corridors, and natural clearings that support specialized and disturbance-sensitive wildlife.
Unlike traditional methods that rely on capturing bats, the identification of Cormura brevirostris was achieved solely through its vocalizations. The acoustic signatures recorded in the field showed clear and consistent patterns that distinguish the species from other bats in the region, allowing for confident confirmation through manual review and comparison with verified acoustic libraries.
During the early stages of processing, some automated systems misidentified the calls as belonging to the genus Molossus. A more detailed examination of call characteristics corrected these misclassifications and verified the presence of Cormura brevirostris. This finding highlights both the power of acoustic monitoring and the importance of expert validation, as automated models alone can produce misleading results.
A composite of two recorded sequences of the verified calls of Cormura brevirostris from Gracias a Dios department, Honduras. The ones on the left display multiple species in the recording; the red boxes isolate the calls from those of Molossus molossus . On the right is another sequence recorded in the absence of other species. Frequency of the knee (Fc) as a log scale is the Y axis (kHz), and the time between pulses is on the X axis, shown in compressed mode with the interpulse times visually removed. Image by Bruce Miller
C. brevirostris is the only species in its genus and is believed to be primarily crepuscular, favoring forest edges and open spaces within lowland tropical rainforest environments. Although past distribution maps and regional checklists hinted at the species’ potential occurrence in Honduras, no confirmed records existed until now.
This new record expands the known range of the species by more than 160 km to the north and raises the number of bat species documented in Honduras to 115. Beyond its scientific significance, the discovery showcases acoustic monitoring as a valuable tool for detecting rare or elusive species in remote, understudied landscapes.
Cormura brevirostris. Photo by José G. Martínez-Fonseca
The finding was made possible thanks to collaboration between researchers, conservation organizations, and local communities. In Mavita, the involvement of the Miskitu community and the Apu Pauni project—focused on protecting forests and emblematic wildlife such as the scarlet macaw—has indirectly contributed to the conservation of other species, including bats. The study was supported by the Biodiverse Landscapes Fund (BLF), the Protected Areas and Wildlife Fund (FAPVS), the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), and local partners.
The results highlight the importance of strengthening scientific research and community-based conservation in La Moskitia, a strategic region within the Mesoamerican Great Forests, currently threatened by deforestation, illegal cattle ranching, and wildlife trafficking.
Out of more than 110 allegedly well-studied mouse-eared bat species, there turns out to be one that has been keeping its diet a mystery. Belonging to the largest group of bats, known to be feeding on insects exclusively, the widely common Black mouse-eared bat (Myotis nigricans) is found to also seek fruits. The Brazilian team of researchers, led by biologist Roberto Leonan Morim Novaes, Fiocruz, conducted their work in the Rio de Janeiro’s reserve Reserva Ecologica de Guapiacu (REGUA), a 5,500 ha remnant of Atlantic Forest, and have their findings and discussion published in the open-access Biodiversity Data Journal.
The unexpected first documentation of fruit consumption in this group of bats happened when the researchers captured a number of bats with mist-nets and kept them alone in cotton bags for about thirty minutes before handling for identification and biometry. Thus, they managed to retrieve feces of the specimens, which showed to contain small seeds. Later, in an experiment, part of the seeds even grew into seedlings. As a result, the scientists report the first fruit consumption within the mouse-eared bat genus, called Myotis, as well as the whole subfamily Myotinae. Their finding might also mean that the examined species plays the ecological role of a seed disperser.
Although the finding is based on a single specimen of Black mouse-eared bat, the researchers reject the possibility of the cotton bags having been previously contaminated with feces of other animals. Dismissed is also the chance of the seeds having been consumed on accident while predation, since the Black mouse-eared bat hunts insects during flight.
Overall, bats are remarkable because of their varied eating habits. Commonly eating insects, there are predatory groups specialised in feeding on other invertebrates, terrestrial vertebrates, fishes or blood. Among the plant-eating, there are those specialised in fruits, flowers or leaves. A few are classified as omnivores and yet few, which are known to be using one category of food exclusively, on rare occasions include an untypical food item to compliment their diet. For example, a carnivorous bat may sporadically consume a plant and vice versa.
“The discovery of a well-studied species, previously considered strictly insectivorous, foraging on fruits shows how little we know about the biology and natural history of Neotropical bats,” conclude the authors.
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Original source:
Novaes R, Souza R, Ribeiro E, Siqueira A, Greco A, Moratelli R (2015) First evidence of frugivory in Myotis(Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae, Myotinae). Biodiversity Data Journal 3: e6841. doi:10.3897/BDJ.3.e6841
