The Weirdest Insect I've Ever Filmed! BAT FLY

Wow, bat flies are bizarre creatures!
I went out to find one of these extraordinary ectoparasitic insects with my museum colleague, Lisa Gatens (naturalsciences.org/staff/lis..., as she was trapping and banding bats in the North Carolina's Coastal Plain. The bat fly in this video was collected off of a Southeastern myotis (Myotis austroriparius) bat and is likely the bat fly species Basilia boardmani within the Nycteribiidae family of flies (will update if I get a confirmed species ID).
Music from soundofpicture.com

[@Luaksz]

Pretty ironic that the only flying mammal has a flightless fly as a parasite.

[@riffhammeron]

Nice one!

[@anonymousperson8259]

"I believe I can fly, I believe I can touch the sky..."

[@jamessssssssssssss]

the fly does achieve flight one way or another

[@rowanmillar6798]

Walking like John Cleese

[@AwesomeFish12]

There's a species of flightless fly called the Braula Fly that likes to hang out on bees. Just piggybacks rides when it wants to go somewhere.

[@kjmudkipzofthemudkipdynast2657]

Since it’s doesn’t fly is it a walk

[@8fledermaus8]

LMAO

[@gus473]

🤦 D'oh! 😂✌️😎

[@alveolate]

yeaaa but it doesn't really walk normally either xD

[@ritahorvath8207]

. 😔 . ♡

[@gsxellence]

Lol the best response and question 😂

[@Tinkererer]

I did my MSc thesis project on these weird little guys: they're *so* fast, and actually how they move is dependent on the species. Some walk really far, but some are "fur swimmers", which dive inside the bat's fur, and some others are "wing crawlers" which love to latch onto the wings. Actually, I wasn't even looking at the bat flies; I was looking at little fungal parasites on THEM. There's a group of fungi called Laboulbeniales, which infect insects, including bat flies. That's a parasite on a parasite, a hyperparasite!

[@wolfmayfair]

parasiteception

[@iniminimoshimo]

it's always so funny when a parasite has parasites. so ironic

[@walrusbyte263]

It's parasites all the way down! It wasn't a vampire bat was it? That would just be too perfect, haha!

[@Bluecho4]

Turnabout is fair play in the animal world.

[@TheMongooseOfDoom]

Those fungi don't get attacked by Viruses, do they?

[@whome9842]

Ah yes, the flightless fly. Better known as “the walk”.

[@minimixe]

lmfao

[@vDuzz]

I'm always fascinated by how uniquely parasitic species evolve so that they're able to thrive in their respective niches. Thank you for sharing Dr. Adrian!

[@theqdie]

It’s because god isn’t real imagine how plain the world would be if someone had to create it

[@rustyshackleford83]

​@theqdie I'm not even religious, but what makes you think everything would look plain? You're assuming the limitations of humans would apply to a supposedly all powerful god

[@SouthParkStudio]

​@@rustyshackleford83 I am your Lorde

[@theqdie]

@@rustyshackleford83 secondly Christian humans can barely fathom the intricacies of evolution how tf would a god possibly creat about 3.5b years worth of progressing life. No evidence points towards higher powers but if something of the like were to exist it didn’t create anything it too would likely be a natural phenomenon.

[@deathdestroyer67]

@@theqdie dude, its a logical impossibility for a parasite to evolve. you gave no brain

[@froggo9145]

its always the parasitic animals that look the most unusual. Great vid!

[@Deontjie]

So this is the source of the virus?

[@arthurmorgan5937]

Sounds interesting. Is your thesis publicly available?

[@JavenarchX]

It's as if .... They become monsters to match their grotesque behaviours

[@ShinSennju]

Generally parasites get really weird because they specialize so much of their anatomy to take advantage of the host species, so they end up losing some body parts, exaggerating others, developing complex life cycles, etc. Horrible, but fascinating.

[@nonethelessfirst8519]

Humans being the best example

[@ge0arc244]

WoW just WOW! They look like spider ticks not flies at all! I thought I knew almost every weird insect species, but this just proves the surfaces has just been scratched. Thank You!

[@nevillepark]

No, THESE are spider ticks!…Okay, well, hooded tickspiders. Really weird and little-known arachnids. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pKOXXqSvp9V0ibc

[@casper8464]

there's apparently 1.4 billion insects for every person on earth and there's a million - possibly 10 million species... we don't know. Try keeping them apart... You just _touched_ the surface, not a scratch on it! ;)

[@Columbine621]

Normal ticks are actually closer to spiders lol

[@Columbine621]

Normal ticks are actually closer to spiders lol

[@finleyelliott4427]

a perfect example of convergent evolution, becoming the shape of a spider, moving like a spider, and feeding like a tick, I think this lil' guy has earnt himself the title of honorary Arachnid. Thanks for doing a video on these little fellas, I haven't seen footage of these before. I know you probably get requests for certain species a lot, but I've been looking into studying these small, primitive, mite-like arachnids called "Ricinulei", but there isn't more than a few seconds of footage online. I just wanted to make you aware of these weird little things, because I feel that the species as a whole has gone incredibly undocumented, and some good quality footage of them would be amazing if you ever get the chance to film them, or go to a place where they live.

[@artisan2906]

boosting this! show us the rotini!

[@aarepelaa1142]

It's moving like an old lady who fell down the stairs, not like a spider lmao.

[@Paraclef]

Imaging studying the Dozens of thousand of billions of the living flora and fauna of the body. Better call them macronutriment right ? Science has two sides and one of those is pure lies and childish villainy.

[@JW-dc8hk]

Yep. It’s also divergent evolution as well due to these critters being flies, losing their wings and adapting probably due to the nocturnal behavior of bats

[@JuniorFarquar]

Zero proof for evolution.

[@SergeiMosin]

The high kick motion actually occurs in almost all tarantulas as well when they're simply walking. They appear to use it as a sensory maneuver to detect vertical surfaces that need to be climbed on to avoid smashing into them.

[@CorvusMoon22]

The bat fly is so fascinating! It’s so cool the way it walks. At first glance it appears to be a spider, but it has six legs. I find it interesting that we can see vestigial Dipteran features on this insect.

[@MrLuc420]

I wonder if they really are vestigial. Given how fast they crawl around the bat, I could see it being useful to not fall off the bat while it's in flight.

[@thiagogoncalves7389]

@@MrLuc420 Vestigial doesn't mean "can't be repurposed"

[@gbazo762]

​@@thiagogoncalves7389if it's been repurposed them it's not still vestigial

[@AphidKirby]

NYCTERIBIIDS MY BELOVED YESSSSSSSS their claw retracting is INSANE!!!! had no idea they could do that!! Just like a kitty

[@Hyperion-5744]

Their spiky hairs and exoskeleton reminds me of close ups of fleas.

[@tranquil_dude]

they might actually be closely related to fleas (which have also been proven to have evolved from flies)

[@josephcronin2965]

very good, alex 😂

[@celihenry3227]

To be fair they have the same lifestyle

[@TheWildReportOfficial]

Dang what a unique insect, I didn't realize there were flies out there that don't...you know...*fly*. It's also crazy that there are over 300 species of these things specifically designed to leech off of bats. Really great feature!

[@MyWildBackyard]

Well well look who I’ve found in the comments section

[@randominternetguy8735]

thats an interesting choice of words

[@AsioEntomo]

I had the opportunity to sit in on some surveys with a friend of mine who's a PhD student studying bats. We were lucky enough to come across a bat fly while I was with him! What wonderful insects, thank you for highlighting them! Most people don't know they exist.

[@bentendo81]

This channel is an absolute gem. Thank you for sharing your passion. Every post blows my mind.

[@ritahorvath8207]

100 % 👍 🦋 💙

[@suzaynnschick158]

Dear Adrian, Thanks for doing real science in public. It's brave, it's beautiful and it's very valuable.

[@blackvx]

Your skills to capture them on film are equally phenomenal as these bat flies!😮 Thanks for sharing!

[@dianahellman9254]

Wow, that is such a bizarre creature!! Thanks for finding one and sharing! Also, your colleague sounds like she does really interesting work, too - thanks for shining a spotlight on her. Those elephant mandibles are HUGE!!

[@siggyretburns7523]

A fly, huh? Looks more like a walk to me.

[@affliction2k02]

More like a creepy crawly

[@HELIX1]

😂

[@RaderGH]

Is it possible that the halteres actually still serve a function? They are not able to fly but they are attached to something that is flying.

[@AntLab]

That’s my guess, that there’s probably a good reason for them to still be functional

[@unknownhours]

@@AntLab They, and their hosts, move so much that I imagine there's a lot of value in knowing which way they are turning.

[@Langharig_Tuig]

The first thing I thought was wether or not they had those haltiers (is that how you spell it?) because I was fascinated some videos ago when you pointed them out on all flies and well, there they are, on this otherwise wingless fly! Fascinating! And it's always nice to see other experts in short video's; they seem genuine and happy to tell a bit about their research.

[@osmia]

+

[@TooSlowTube]

"Halteres", apparently.

[@Langharig_Tuig]

Thanks, @@TooSlowTube I'll remember that!

[@casualsatanist5808]

These flies can have fungal ectoparasites of the Laboulbeniomycetes class...my current objective is finding a specimen which would be the 4th documented sighting of them in my country. Im collecting beetles and other hosts...im pretty into mycology but ima have to get into entomology too it seems. Wish me luck!

[@Jean-FrancoisBilodeau]

How have I never heard of bat flies until today? Thanks for exanding my knowledge. This is facinating!

[@maggienelson4437]

"but for now that's what I could capture" !!!!! I'll be watching this space for more!

[@kylesty6728]

I cannot even imagine how specifically adapted they must be to stay holding on to a flying bat. Bats are aerial acrobats. I bet those hooks are capable of (relatively) phenomenal grip on their host organism.

[@cosmicabyss7358]

Its more so the fact that they burrow in with their mouths that keeps them attached rather than their legs. Same thing that ticks do.

[@Internetpurge]

Its head looks a lot like a flea’s head. When I saw it in the thumbnail I thought this was some kind of spider! I never knew these animals existed until today. Truly fascinating and I would love to see a more in-depth analysis of them in the future!

[@JohannVonVorst]

Suppose keeping the gyroscopes might be handy if you live on a critter that swerves around in the air all night

[@AntLab]

That’s what I was thinking!

[@CalebHussey]

That's not a fly, that's a walk.

[@zealkurusuthegatorman5439]

LMAO! 😂

[@DanielSimu]

There is so much more I want to know now! How did you take it off the bat? How long do you manage to keep it alive in your lab, do you feed it? Why did all of these features surprise you, is this info not easily available or are you one of the first to document them? As always, thanks for sharing an insight in your science practise!

[@osmia]

+

[@GerSHAK]

+

[@HuckleberryHim]

My jaw literally dropped when I fully processed what the thumbnail was... wow!! I only found out about these relatively recently and just didn't even conceive that there would be video footage of them, let alone amazing high resolution slow-mo This was truly otherworldly, it feels like it shouldn't be real! The retractable claws blew my mind, and so did the halteres, and that head. Amazing work documenting such a unique and under-researched animal in this way, I'm sure it's a first

[@dcu21]

Wow. Very rare footage

[@carlosdavid1444]

Amazing! Spectacular! Thanks for sharing your discoveries and insights of such interesting creatures. After watching this video, I feel better about my life for not having those flies crawling on my skin and ears. 🙂

[@Buttcluck]

I’m really glad this channel is growing, the content is always top tier.

[@ChimpChumpable]

Wow that's incredible to see up close! The fact that it has functional halteres and no wings is very interesting.

[@AdYourCommentHere]

I truly appreciate the videos that your produce and the collaborations that you have with the various scientists working at the university. I love these glimpses into the various sides of biology. You were also the person that got me to buy 'Ant Architecture'. Thanks for what you are doing!

[@purgeexe]

Actually kinda looks like a Solfugid/Camel Spider at first glance, just with a flea-like head. Really interesting how spider-like they are!

[@gigantiopsdestructor]

AMAZING footage! Have always been fascinated by these guys so of course I was geeking out to see my favorite youtube channel show them off in motion. Seeing those halteres was mind blowing

[@goodgoodmike]

Another fantastic, high-quality, educational video. Thank you!

[@vastabyss6496]

I feel so fortunate to be able to witness a live Walk on camera!

[@coachafella]

More than amazing. I can't begin to express how much appreciation and respect I have for all of the scientists who delve so carefully and deeply into the details of existence, and then share it with us. You have enriched my life beyond measuring. Thank you so very much.

[@dawnmichelle4403]

Fantastic! Thank you for bringing this unusual insect to our attention! 💜

[@anyascelticcreations]

Beautiful photography. I watch a couple of bat rescue channels from Australia. Mostly the big flying fox fruit bats. They almost always have bat flie on them. It always looks so out of place to me to see the creepy critters scurrying across such adorable animals.

[@eyvindness]

Incredible work! Thanks for the show 🤩

[@plainlogic]

As an amateur naturalist, I'm amazed. As an arachnophobic, I'm mortified. Great video!

[@mammon_is_god]

He's only got 6 You'll be alright

[@plainlogic]

@mammon_is_god arachnophobia is an irrational fear of spiders. The key word is irrational.

[@tracybowling1156]

I'm so thankful that you are so interested in bugs because I get to enjoy the fruit of your labor. I just love your channel and all of your hard work! Truly, Thank You so much for sharing with us!

[@alexanderray2001]

This was an extremely fascinating video! I never knew these existed. The leftover functional gyroscopes & questing behavior was interesting. It’s strange how these are even related to flies at all. Thank you for educating :)

[@esme1195]

Incredible footage and wonderful commentary as always!

[@yohvh]

I love how you teach us and the way this is straight to the point edited and what not.

[@KingElfin]

Very interesting insect.

[@thedoggo6618]

I feel like Im looking at an incomplete camel spider.

[@timtaylor8406]

This is too much knowledge, thank you very much.

[@user-zp4ge3yp2o]

A fly that can't fly must feel very self-conscious.

[@beaglemanzzz]

Maybe they prefer to be called "walks"

[@tristunalekzander5608]

Diptera has gotta be the most diverse group of bugs, you got house flys, crane flys, mosquitos, hoverflies, robber flys, and now bat flys haha

[@tsm688]

that award still goes to beetles

[@TasmanianWolves]

Isn't there something called fruit flies too?

[@tylersmythe8216]

This is one of the most accessible and high quality sources of entomology videos on youtube.

[@__tasp__]

This channel needs more subs, it's amazing. I hope bio teachers are showing this to their students.

[@vittorioscacchetti2295]

is it possible they retained the halteres because they're parasites specifically of a flying animal? I'm really curious about why they evolved to keep them even after losing their wings

[@osmia]

+

[@tsm688]

We are also earthbound creatures that possess gyroscopes.

[@vittorioscacchetti2295]

@@tsm688 yes but we have different gyroscopes that work differently for a different purpose. We got our semicircular canals for the life on the ground we always lived, while these bugs have halteres because they used to fly in a very specific way (with them being order specific organs and all) and retained them even after losing their ability to fly

[@tsm688]

@@vittorioscacchetti2295 Who cares what they're meant for? They'll work on the ground or the air. Semicircular canals don't scale down to insect size, these do.

[@kingLorshi]

Kind of ironic that is called a fly that can't fly, but it is so much more like an arachnid to me than an insect. Ao utterly bizarre, but mind-blowing and fascinating. And somewhat creepy. Thats inaects for you though! Fantastic footage!

[@jimmyc3238]

Amazing! I got my degree in Biology back in the '70s, and just when I think I've seen or heard or read about them all, I learn about some creature I never knew existed.

[@terrabelle9937]

I'm so happy you had clips of Lisa in the museum collections. That's my dream job.

[@dxmaqe8142]

"This fly doesn't have wings" So it's a walk.

[@srhchannel6361]

I finally found the comment that I've been looking for....

[@MEGABUMSTENCH]

funny lookin little fella

[@BPhant]

This is such a cool thing to learn about and I'm glad you do what you do, sharing this information and educating; thank you!

[@dj-kq4fz]

I am always amazed by these videos. Thanks so much!

[@daleduncan7611]

Love your work! Still my favourite channel! From Ontario, Canada

[@catpoke9557]

It looks like a true bug trying to mimic a spider, but it's not a true bug and it's not trying to mimic a spider. That's insane

[@cagermanboy]

You are so talented and curious! Thank you for sharing your discoveries and educating us on the unknown through your fantastic Lense.

[@yourdaysbebright4738]

Fascinating! Thanks for sharing this.

[@Morales-nt6vi]

That is totally insane. A fly that looks and acts like a tick. First time I've even seen or heard of this. How would this breed? Are the maggots parasitic as well? I have heard of bat bugs which suck blood like bed bugs. I love this stuff. Salute. 👍👍👍

[@maxbennett5412]

Well it's a fly that can't fly. Of course it's insane what do you think the other flies think about a fly that can't fly.

[@Morales-nt6vi]

@@maxbennett5412 They were flabbergasted 🤣

[@rustyshackleford9888]

I wondered the same thing, and after looking it up I'm surprised Dr. Smith didn't discuss it! Apparently bat flies mate on their hosts, and females are viviparous and typically invest more resources into a single offspring, vs laying hundreds of eggs externally like most flies. The larva develops inside the mother nourished by a "milk" gland, and when it is ready to pupate, the mother fly briefly leaves their bat host and gives birth to the larva relatively close by (like on the cave wall or branch where the bats roost). After pupating, the new adult fly will hopefully be close enough to find its own host within the bat colony.

[@b.a.erlebacher1139]

​@@rustyshackleford9888 That's really interesting. I wouldn't have expected such an unusual mode of reproduction from bat flies! Thanks for looking it up and sharing it.

[@A20FtPancake]

These aren't flies, they're walks..

[@Filterdissman]

Wow that was great footage! Nice work!

[@henseltbrumbleburg3752]

It's always videos like these that give me the most joy, seeing the excitement and weird, yet wonderful things people do in the pursuit of knowledge

[@dddaaa6965]

You need to get a life then

[@beaglemanzzz]

I was initially completely disgusted by these creatures, but seeing them up close and in slow motion somehow makes me feel less so. I wonder what the halteres could be used for on a fly without wings? Absolutely fascinating video!

[@cortster12]

My guess is stabilization. Like a gyroscope to help it stay on the bat despite how fast it moves around.

[@ulrikchristiansen]

The walk starting at 3:33 could very well be a creative interpretation of Monty Python's Ministry of Silly Walk. Science of cool - thanks for sharing :)

[@mechasentai]

Me geeking out about this! Thank for making this. ❤

[@kitgarvin9253]

Please more segments about bat flies! This was incredibly interesting. Thank you

[@jadefox6167]

Am i the only one that clicked on this because of rain world?

[@markg1490]

Very cool. Have never heard or seen one of these before. Thank you for sharing

[@jom6829]

Thank you for filming this and yep, that is the weirdest, and creepiest, insect I've seen. Absolutely fascinating though.

[@Epoch11]

Never heard of anything like that before and thank you so much for making videos like this showing insects then I'm sure many of us didn't know existed.

[@Skyhi.Visuals]

Such a cool channel!! Love the videos

[@Butteredsausage177]

YES A VIDEO OF IT. IVE ONLY SEEN PICTURES. THANK YOU

[@williampiwowarek3713]

Awesome footage! They are much faster than I expected

[@ky42]

Fascinating! Thanks for the vid!🙂

[@PixelLulu]

I LOVE it when I get introduced to something new I've never heard about. This is awesome

[@jeffreysokal7264]

Great info! Great video! Thanks!

[@dracojester2971]

This is the first video I’ve seen from this channel and got super excited when i heard it’s in the NC Museum Of Natural Science since i’m in NC and visit the museum in downtown Raleigh every once in a while. (Also currently have my fingers crossed that i’ll get the internship at the arthropod zoo that I applied for 🤞🏻)

[@SJHFoto]

Wow-I've never even heard of this-thanks for sharing!

[@chrishenderson666]

Very cool! I had never seen one of those before. Thank you for sharing.

[@centradragon]

Thank you for sharing! Amazing stuff, especially the footage of it walking around on the ground! This is one of the grossest animals I've ever seen - I can't imagine how awful it is to have one racing on you, too quick for you to grab. D:

[@zombiehiphophex]

Thank you for your research!

[@2iz2]

So happy to have found this video...nature never fails to amaze...thanks guys

[@Palaeogeobicho]

Ze Frank needs to know about these... great video, thanks!

[@MadCat-75]

First I thought of a Hippoboscidae, with which they are related. I did not know the family before. Thanks for these great insights!

[@eesoo5420]

This is fascinating, I looked at the image you used for the thumbnail and I assumed it was threat posturing similar to spiders.

[@andrewsarinana946]

The high kicks, suggests a love for showtunes.

[@papafishing2907]

I found your short and you definitely deserve the follow

[@andrewk9267]

I love the bat's face at 2:18... he looks so incredulous lol

[@rabbit.of.ill.portent9303]

I've always had a love and a fascination for insects and arachnids 😍 I've never seen or heard of these little dudes but I'm very happy to be made aware of their existence! Also, i have to say that that little bat is SO sweet! I've always wanted to pet one. Perhaps i need to change my career 😁

[@janedoe6181]

Positively fascinating! I had no idea these little critters existed.

[@mikemccoy7931]

Great vid, cool to see you guys are in NC, I live near Charlotte