Effect of host and environment-related factors on fleas of the pichi, an armadillo from Argentina

EZQUIAGA, MARÍA CECILIA; RIOS, TATIANA AGUSTINA; ACTIS, ESTEBAN ALBERTO; CASSINI, GUILLERMO HERNÁN; ABBA, AGUSTÍN MANUEL; SUPERINA, MARIELLA

ANAIS DA ACADEMIA BRASILEIRA DE CIENCIAS.

ACAD BRASILEIRA DE CIENCIAS

Lugar: Rio de Janeiro; Año: 2020 vol. 92 p. 1 - 10

0001-3765

The pichi (Zaedyus pichiy;Cingulata: Chlamyphoridae) is an armadillo whose ectoparasite fauna is composedof ticks and fleas. Fleas were collected from 218 pichis in southern Mendoza,Argentina, in summer and winter of 2015 and 2016. Prevalences were analyzed anddifferences in the intensities of the total number of fleas related to host(age, sex, weight, size and physical condition) and environment-related(seasonality and year) factors evaluated. Phthiropsylla agenoris was theonly species found. Intensities of fleas were higher in 2015, in juveniles, andin males. Individuals with poor physical condition were more parasitized thanthose with good or normal body condition. The main explanatory variable wassampling year. This factor was directly associated with precipitation. Theextreme conditions and heavy rains during the El Niño event in 2015/2016 led toenvironmental changes that seem to have severely affected the life cycle offleas.