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

BAZÁN LEON E; MARCELA LARESCHI; JULIANA SÁNCHEZ; SOTO G; LAZZONI I; VENEGAS C; VÁSQUEZ RODRIGO

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 675 fleas of 15 different species and 2 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 were Neotyphloceras crassispina crassispina (n = 198) and Neotyphloceras chilensis (n = 175), and the less common were Ectinorus (Ichyonus) 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, while the highest values of mean abundance (MA) and prevalence were found in Los Molles River, Fray Jorge NP and Dichato. 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 on O. longicaudatus, A. longipilis and P. xanthopygus. A total of 3 new host recordings, 7 new localities and 9 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 and the first ecological analysis of Neotyphloceras chilensis in its new taxonomic status. This last species was recently elevated to species status based on characteristics of modified abdominal segments of both sexes