Drivers of flea (Siphonaptera) community structure in sympatric wild carnivores in northwestern Mexico

Abstract

Host identity, habitat type, season, and interspecific interactions were investigated as determinants of the community structure of fleas on wild carnivores in northwestern Mexico. A total of 540 fleas belonging to seven species was collected from 64 wild carnivores belonging to eight species. We found that the abundances of some flea species are explained by season and host identity. Pulex irritans and Echidnophaga gallinacea abundances were significantly higher in spring than in fall season. Flea communities on carnivore hosts revealed three clusters with a high degree of similarity within each group that was explained by the flea dominance of E. gallinacea, P. simulans, and P. irritans across host identity. Flea abundances did not differ statistically among habitat types. Finally, we found a negative correlation between the abundances of three flea species within wild carnivore hosts. Individual hosts with high loads of P. simulans males usually had significantly lower loads of P. irritans males or tend to have lower loads of E. gallinacea fleas and vice-versa. Additionally, the logistic regression model showed that the presence of P. simulans males is more likely to occur in wild carnivore hosts in which P. irritans males are absent and vice-versa. These results suggest that there is an apparent competitive exclusion among fleas on wild carnivores. The study of flea community structure on wild carnivores is important to identify the potential flea vectors for infectious diseases and provide information needed to design programs for human health and wildlife conservation.

Flea surveillance on wild mammals in northern region of Xinjiang, northwestern China

“…In previous work, The human flea ( P. irritans )was sampled from South American gray fox ( Lycalopex griseus ), Andean fox ( Lycalopex culpaeus ), red fox, coyote ( Canis latrans ), kit foxes ( Vulpes macrotis ), swift foxes ( Vulpes velox ), burrowing owls, the crested porcupine ( Hystrix cristata ), Beech marten ( Martes foina ), the ground squirrel ( Citellus citellus ), Iberian lynx ( Lynx pardinus ), domestic dog, cat, pig, chicken and dairy goats (Millán et al, 2007, Millán et al, 2018; Víchová et al, 2018; López-Pérez et al, 2018; Sanchez et al, 2018; Zouari et al, 2017; Noden et al, 2017; Rezaei et al, 2016; Graham et al, 2016; Belthoff et al, 2015; Mori et al, 2015; Domínguez-Peñafiel et al, 2011; Uslu et al, 2008; Pence et al, 2004; Ménier, 2003). In this study, P. irritans was also collected from marbled polecat ( V .…”

Checklist of ectoparasites of Canidae and Felidae in Mexico

“…Echidnophaga gallinacea (Westwood, 1875) CHIHUAHUA: Janos Biosphere Reserve: Canis latrans, Lynx rufus, Urocyon cinereoargenteus, Vulpes macrotis (López-Pérez et al 2018). No specimens in collections.…”

“…Euhoplopsyllus glacialis affinis (Baker, 1904) CHIHUAHUA: Janos Biosphere Reserve: Urocyon cinereoargenteus (López-Pérez et al 2018). No specimens in collections.…”

Composición de comunidades y filoespecificidad de ectoparásitos de murciélagos en paisajes agropecuarios de Veracruz, México.

“…La diversidad beta de las comunidades de ectoparásitos y hospederos de los ocho sitios se cuantificó con el índice de Morisita-Horn. Se utilizó el coeficiente de correlación de Pearson para analizar la relación entre las abundancias relativas de todos los pares de especies ectoparásitas de las especies de murciélagos generalistas (López-Pérez et al 2018).…”