Fleas (Insecta: Siphonaptera) associated with non-flying small mammals communities from northern and central Chile; with new host and locality records

LEÓN-BAZAN, ENRIQUE; LARESCHI, MARCELA; SANCHEZ, JULIANA P.; SOTO-NILO, GABRIELA; LAZZONI, ILENIA ; VÁSQUEZ, RODRIGO A.

MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2013 vol. 27 p. 450 - 459

0269-283X

Fleas associated with small mammals from 7 localities in northern and central Chile were collected between December 2008 and March 2009. During this period we captured 348 small mammals belonging to 12 species from which we obtained 668 fleas of 16 different species and 3 subspecies. The most frequently captured host species was Abrothrix olivaceus (n = 127), and the less common were Abrocoma bennetti, Mus musculus and Octodon bridgesi (n = 1, each species). The most frequently captured flea species was Neotyphloceras crassispina (n = 366 in 5 different host species) and the less common were Ectinorus (Ichyonus) onychius angularis, Polygenis (Polygenis) platensis, Tetrapsyllus (Tetrapsyllus) comis, and Tetrapsyllus (Tetrapsyllus) corfidii (n = 1, each one). High values of flea species richness and diversity were found in Fray Jorge National Park and Dichato, while the highest values of mean abundance (MA) and prevalence were found in Los Molles River and Fray Jorge. On the other hand, high values of flea richness and diversity were found on two rodent species, A. olivaceus and A. longipilis, while the highest values of MA and prevalence were found in three species, O. longicaudatus, A. longipilis and P. xanthopygus. A total of 8 new host recordings, 7 new localities and 10 new host species and locality recordings are reported in this study. Also, this study represents the first known record of Tetrapsyllus (Tetrapsyllus) comis in Chile.