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Story: Insects – overview

New Zealand batfly

Video file

New Zealand batflies (Mystacinobia zelandica) are wingless flies that live in close association with the endemic short-tailed bat. This video clip shows a female fly depositing her eggs close to a newborn bat. When the eggs hatch, the batfly larvae attach themselves to the baby bat’s skin.

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Natural History New Zealand

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How to cite this page

George Gibbs, Insects – overview – Unique species, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/video/10044/new-zealand-batfly (accessed 10 June 2026).

Story by George Gibbs, published 1 March 2009.