Ectoparasites of Isle Royale, Michigan

Isle Royale National Park is a rocky archipelago of approximately 200 islands and islets in northwestern Lake Superior. Politically it belongs to the State of Michigan situated 50 miles to the southeast. The main island lies parallel to the Canadian shore, which is from 12 to 15 miles to the northwest. It is 45 miles long, and 9 miles wide at its broadest point. A review of the climatological, vegetational, and geological features of the island is given by Mech (1966). Most of the material included in this paper was collected incidently by Johnson during a three-year study (1966-68) of the food habits of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes (Linnaeus)), and population dynamics of three of its principal prey species--the snowshoe rabbit (Lepus americanus), red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), and deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) (see Johnson, 1969). The remaining material (196061) was collected by L. D. Mech during his studies of gray wolf (Canis lupus Linnaeus)-moose (Alces alces) relationships (see Mech, 1966)