- 279 bat specimens of 14 species were examined for ectoparasites during the autumnal swarming period in different cave roosts in Albania. A total of 550 ectoparasites were identified belonging to 19 species. The structure of the ectoparasite fauna and the influence of body mass index and body surface area on the parasite load were discussed for the most common bat species (Miniopterus schreibersii, Myotis myotis, M. capaccinii and Rhinolophus ferrumequinum). The ectoparasite fauna of the studied bats in Albania is qualitatively similar to northern Bulgaria (SCHEFFLER, 2011). The bat species Myotis myotis and M. daubentonii are infested with different ectoparasites in the Balkan region during the autumn swarming period than specimens of the same bat species in Central Europe. There is a strong need of further research for most host and ectoparasite species in the entire Balkan region.
