The fleas (Insecta: Siphonaptera) parasites of sigmodontine rodents (Cricetidae) from Northern Patagonia, Argentina

SANCHEZ, JULIANA PATRICIA; LARESCHI, MARCELA

COMPARATIVE PARASITOLOGY

HELMINTHOLOGICAL SOC WASHINGTON, C/O ALLEN PRESS INC

Lugar: Kansas; Año: 2013 vol. 80 p. 110 - 117

1525-2647

The flea fauna of Patagonia in Argentina comprises about 50% of the total 13 species and subspecies known for Argentina.Given the high diversity of environments and a 14 rich assemblage of sigmodontine rodents of the Patagonian region, flea richness is probably 15 underestimated. In the present study 16 species and subspecies of fleas parasitizing 16 sigmodontines from Northern Patagonia are reported. Fifteen new parasite-host associations 17 and new records of geographical distribution are reported. The results suggest the coexistence 18 of an endemic flea fauna (Tetrapsyllus (Tetrapsyllus) tantillus; Tetrapsyllus (Tetrapsyllus); 19 Ectinorus (Ectinorus) spiculatus; Agastopsylla boxi boxi and Sphinctopsylla ares), coexisting 20 with other species and genera that occur mainly at lower latitudes than those of Patagonia 21 (Tetrapsyllus (Phylliver) bleptus; Ectinorus (Ectinorus) hapalus and Polygenis (Polygenis) 22 rimatus). Considering that the same happens with some species and genera of their 23 sigmodontine hosts, future studies will allow us to determine the distributional limits of each 24 flea taxon, and analyze the influence of host geographical distribution