Abstract
Simple SummaryFleas are obligatory, secondarily wingless, hematophagous insects living all over the world. They colonize a variety of habitats from wet tropical forests to semi-arid and desert areas. Adult individuals feed mainly on small mammals, and less often on birds. The aim of the present study was to explore the fauna of fleas and their broad-sense behavior in eastern Poland. Rodents, which are widely recognized as one of the preferred hosts of these insects, were caught to carry out the study. The results show that, regardless of the ecological habitat type, the striped field mouse Apodemus agrarius was the most frequently captured rodent species, and the Ctenophthalmus agyrtes flea species was collected most frequently. Moreover, rhythms in the seasonal activity of fleas, with a peak in summer months, were noted.Fleas are hematophagous insects infesting mainly small mammals and, less frequently, birds. With their wide range of potential hosts, fleas play a significant role in the circulation of pathogens in nature. Depending on the species, they can be vectors for viruses, bacteria, rickettsiae, and protozoa and a host for some larval forms of tapeworm species. The aim of this study was to determine the species composition of fleas and their small rodent host preferences in eastern Poland. Animals were captured in traps in various types of ecological habitats (a site covered by grassland vegetation within city limits, an unused agricultural meadow, and a fallow land near a mixed forest). The following rodent species were caught: Apodemus agrarius, Apodemus flavicollis, Microtus arvalis, and Myodes glareolus. Additionally, Ctenophthalmus agyrtes, Ctenophthalmus assimilis, Hystrichopsylla talpae, and Nosopsyllus fasciatus flea species were identified. The peak of the flea activity was noted in summer months. C. agyrtes was found to be the most abundant flea species in eastern Poland, while the greatest numbers of fleas were collected from the rodent species A. agrarius.
Highlights
Fleas (Siphonaptera) are cosmopolitan, secondarily wingless, hematophagous insects with laterally flattened body symmetry
The plots located in the non-urban areas were characterized by greater species richness and abundance of the flea fauna than the plot located in the city (Tables 1 and 2, and Table S1)
The ecological index of dominance (D%) of this species amounted to 82.91% and was 15.1-fold higher than that in Hystrichopsylla talpae and Nosopsyllus fasciatus and 13.5-fold higher than in Ctenophthalmus assimilis
Summary
Fleas (Siphonaptera) are cosmopolitan, secondarily wingless, hematophagous insects with laterally flattened body symmetry. Over 2500 species of fleas representing 238 genera have been described worldwide [1]. They infest warm-blooded vertebrates, mainly mammals and, less frequently, birds [2]. Flea adult stages usually colonize burrows and nests or the hair of their hosts [7]. To find a potential host, fleas use chemoreceptors located on the antennae, dorsal shield (pygidium), and legs; these insects are especially sensitive to the smell of lactic acid contained in sweat [8] and are attracted by the smell of the host’s
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