New Records of Deer Keds (Diptera: Hippoboscidae: Lipoptena cervi L. and L. mazamae Rondani) in Eastern North America

Deer keds (Diptera: Hippoboscidae: Lipopteninae) are blood-feeding ectoparasitic flies that usually feed on deer and other Cervidae but sometimes bite humans. Two species are found in eastern North America: introduced European deer keds (Lipoptena cervi L.) and native Neotropical deer keds (L. mazamae Rondani). While historically dismissed as potential vectors of diseases, half a dozen tick-borne pathogens, including species pathogenic to humans, have been sequenced from deer keds over the last 15 years. In response to growing concerns that deer keds may transmit pathogens, efforts have been made recently to determine the distribution of deer keds in North America. Herein, we present new state records for Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, and Nebraska, as well as 146 new county records from these and other states. We also discuss the relationship of hippoboscids to CO2-baited mosquito traps and review the impact of the community science platforms iNaturalist.org and BugGuide.net.