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Ectoparasites of rabbits and hares in Manitoba, Canada, with observations on age-specific dispersal in Haemodipsus setoni (Phthiraptera: Anoplura: Polyplacidae)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 May 2012

Terry D. Galloway
Terry D. Galloway*
Affiliation:
Department of Entomology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3T 2N2 (e-mail: [email protected]).
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Abstract

During 1994–2008, 58 adult and 195 juvenile eastern cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus floridanus (Allen)), one adult and 23 juvenile snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus Erxleben), and eight adult white-tailed jackrabbits (Lepus townsendii Bachman) (Mammalia: Leporidae) were examined for ectoparasites. The most abundant ectoparasite on cottontails was the sucking louse, Haemodipsus setoni Ewing (Phthiraptera; Polyplacidae), recorded from this host for the first time. Infestations in adult and juvenile cottontails were highly aggregated, k = 0.136 and 0.153, respectively. Prevalence of infestation in adult cottontails was 70.6%, with a mean intensity of 5614.1 (range: 1–166 249); 10 adults had more than 1000 lice. In juvenile cottontails, prevalence was 34.8% and mean intensity was 6.2 (range: 1–87). On adult cottontails, 73.4% of the total lice were nymphs, while on juvenile cottontails only 11.6% were nymphs. It appears that dispersal from parents to offspring is overwhelmingly achieved by adult lice. Seventeen adult cottontails were infested with the tick, Haemaphysalis leporispalustris (Packard) (Acari: Ixodidae). No fleas specific to rabbits were collected but small numbers of the rodent fleas Monopsyllus vison (Baker), Orchopeas caedens (Jordan), and Aetheca wagneri (Baker) (Siphonaptera: Ceratophyllidae) were recorded. Only one snowshoe hare was infested with H. setoni and three were infested with H. leporispalustris; no fleas were found on snowshoe hares. Two white-tailed jackrabbits were infested with H. leporispalustris; one carried Pulex irritans Linnaeus (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae), and none carried lice.

Résumé

De 1994 à 2008, nous avons recherché les ectoparasites sur 58 adultes et 195 jeunes du lapin à queue blanche (Sylvilagus floridanus (Allen)), un adulte et 23 jeunes du lièvre d'Amérique (Lepus americanus Erxleben) et huit adultes du lièvre à queue blanche (Lepus townsendii Bachman) (Mammalia: Leporidae). L'ectoparasite le plus abondant sur les lapins est le pou suceur Haemodipsus setoni Ewing (Phthiraptera: Polyplacidae), signalé sur cet hôte pour la première fois. Les répartitions des infestations chez les lapins adultes et jeunes sont fortement contagieuses, les valeurs respectives de k étant 0,136 et 0,153. La prévalence de l'infestation est de 70,6% chez les lapins adultes avec une intensité moyenne de 5614,1 (étendue: 1–166 249); 10 adultes portaient plus de 1000 poux. Chez les jeunes lapins, la prévalence est de 34,8% et l'intensité moyenne de 6,2 (étendue: 1–87). Chez les lapins adultes, 73,4% de l'ensemble des poux sont des larves, alors que les larves ne représentent que 11,6% sur les jeunes lapins. Il apparaît donc que la dispersion des parents vers les jeunes se fait surtout par les poux adultes. Dix-sept des lapins étaient infestés par la tique Haemaphysalis leporispalustris (Packard) (Acari: Ixodidae). Aucune puce spécifique aux lapins n'a été récoltée, mais de petits nombres de puces des rongeurs Monopsyllus vison (Baker), Orchopeas caedens (Jordan) et Aetheca wagneri (Baker) (Siphonaptera: Ceratophyllidae) ont été retrouvés. Un seul lièvre d'Amérique était infesté par H. setoni et trois portaient des H. leporispalustris; aucune puce n'a été récoltée sur les lièvres d'Amérique. Deux lièvres à queue blanche étaient infestés par H. leporispalustris; un portait Pulex irritans Linnaeus, mais aucun n'avait de puces.

Type
Original Article
Information
The Canadian Entomologist , Volume 144 , Issue 3 , 28 May 2012 , pp. 439 - 446
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 2012

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