Notes of the flea fauna (Insecta, Siphonaptera) of the terrestrial azorean mammals

peer reviewedDuring three successive years, field samplings of wild mammals were organised on different Azorean islands and the ectoparastes were collected. Among 340 murid rodents, 31 did bear at least one flea. Nosopsyllus l. londiniensis has been found on the mouse in São Miguel. Stenoponia t. tripectinata has been discovered in Terceira and in São Miguel, mainly on house mice and on one black rat out of 121. Nosopsyllus fasciatus was present on the mouse and on both the black and the Norway rats. Its presence has been evidenced in four islands: São Miguel, Terceira, Graciosa and Flores. Numerous rabbits were also examined in the visited islands (São Miguel, Terceira, Pico, São Jorge, Faial and Flores) and were found heavily parasited by their commonest flea, Spilopsyllus cuniculi. In Flores, however, that flea seems to be lacking. Though no systematic search has been done on domestic animals, the presence of Ctenocephalides f. felis is also reported from Flores, Terceira and Graciosa whereas C. canis has been found on a dog in Florès. The flea fauna of the Azorean archipelago is therefore characterized by a few species amongst the most cosmopolitan one