Fleas (Siphonaptera) parasites of Ctenomys (Rodentia: Hystricognathi) from Bolivia

ELISA PUCU DE ARAUJO; SCOTT L GARDNER; MARCELA LARESCHI

La Plata

Congreso; XXIV Jornadas Argentinas de Mastozoología.; 2011

SAREM

The genus Ctenomys is endemic to South America and have a wide geographic distribution, occurring in diverse habitats from the Atlantic Coast to the Andes south of 10oS latitude. Fleas have been recorded parasitizing Ctenomys mostly from Argentina.  Here we mention fleas parasitizing species of Ctenomys from Boliva. Rodents from Oruro, Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, La Paz, Santa Cruz and Tarija states were captured from 1986-2000, and examined for ectoparasites. Fleas were preserved in 70% ethanol and prepared following conventional techniques.  Hosts were identified as: Ctenomys boliviensis (Santa Cruz); Ctenomys frater (Tarija); Ctenomys leucodon (La Paz); Ctenomys opimus (Oruro); and Ctenomys sp. (Santa Cruz, Chuquisaca and Cochabamba), while fleas as (Rhopalopsyllidae, Rhopalopsyllinae) Gephyropsylla klagesi and Tiamastus palpalis (Santa Cruz), and Rhopalopsyllus sp. (Chuquisaca); (Parapsyllinae) Ectinorus (Panallius) galeanus  (xxxxx) and Tetrapsyllus tristis (La Paz); (Stepahnocircidae, Craneopsyllinae) Sphinctopsylla inca (Cochabamba). For C.boliviensis we identified E. (P.) galeanus (xx Females; xx males) and G. klagesi (xxFxxM); for C. frater, E. (P.) galeanus (xxFxxM); for C. leucodon, T. tristis (xxFxxM) and E. (P.) galeanus; for C. opimus, E. (P.) galeanus (xxFxxM); for Ctenomys sp., Rhopalopsyllus sp., S. inca and T. palpalis. Tiamastus palpalis is the most prevalent (30%) and it is recorded for the first time for Bolivia. Previously it was mentioned for Ctenomys mendocinus  from Argentina.The genus Tiamastus occurs in the Andes range and throughout most of Argentina except southeast, with 10 species parasitizing hystricomorphs. The remainder species identified are associated with different groups of micromammals. Only the genus Sphinctopsylla is recorded for the first time for Bolivia, mostly associated with the sigmodontines Oxymycterus, Thomasomys,  Akodon and  Phyllotis. The others flea genus were known for the country but new host associations are recorded. Fleas from Ctenomys are understudied, and we show new flea-host-locality occurrences