Abstract
The deer ked (Lipoptena cervi) is a harmful ectoparasite that emerged in the reindeer herding area of Finland in 2006. To understand the current range and the intensity of infestations on its novel reindeer host, we studied deer ked pupae collected from reindeer and moose bedding sites and conducted a questionnaire survey among the managers of 18 reindeer herding cooperatives in the southern part of the reindeer herding area. Our study confirmed that the deer ked can survive and successfully reproduce on reindeer through winter and that flying deer keds had been observed in reindeer wintering areas during several autumns in twelve cooperatives. The pupae originating from reindeer were smaller and showed lower hatching rates than the pupae from moose. The present results indicate that the range of the deer ked infestations on reindeer in Finland expanded during the recent 5 years, now reaching 14 cooperatives and bordering an area south of approximately 66° N 25° E in the west and 65° N 29° E east.
Highlights
The deer ked was first detected in the south-eastern Finland in the 1960s, presumably spreading from Russia (Kaitala et al 2009)
Välimäki et al (2011) reported heavier pupae found in Finnish moose compared with those found in wild forest reindeer and Norwegian roe deer (Capreolus capreolus)
The deer ked in Sweden produces larger pupae in the roe deer, which survive better than pupae produced in moose in the same area (Härkönen et al 2015)
Summary
The deer ked was first detected in the south-eastern Finland in the 1960s, presumably spreading from Russia (Kaitala et al 2009). The adults feed on cervid hosts blood and reproduce in its fur. The deer ked infests different cervids with various levels of success. Its principal host in Finland is the moose (Alces alces) (Kaunisto et al 2009). Välimäki et al (2011) reported heavier pupae found in Finnish moose compared with those found in wild forest reindeer and Norwegian roe deer (Capreolus capreolus). Despite the differences in host use, the genetics of the deer ked between the eastern population in Finland and western population in Sweden and Norway seem to be similar (Jaakola et al 2015). The relationship between the deer ked and its new host, the reindeer, is still poorly studied. When encountering a new host, the parasite needs to overcome physiological and immunological defenses of the host to successfully attach and reproduce (Moore 2002; Wall 2007), but external climate and biotic factors can have effects on the new host-parasite relationship (Wall 2007)
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