New records of small mammal hosts for five ectoparasite species from Sri Lanka

Ticks and fleas act as vectors for a number of zoonotic diseases, hence are medically important. Handful of studies carried out in Sri Lanka to date have reported 6 tick species and 11 flea species from murine rodents and shrews. Here, we report ticks and fleas infesting murine rodents and shrews collected from 18 selected sites in two districts in Sri Lanka, Kurunegala and Kandy. Two species of ticks (Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides and Haemaphysalis spinigera), an unidentified Haemaphysalis larva and a flea Xenopsylla cheopis were found from Kurunegala. From Kandy, four species of ticks (R. haemaphysaloides, H. spinigera, Ixodis ceylonensis and Dermacentor auratus) and three species of fleas (X. cheopis, Stivalius phoberus and Stivalius aporus) were collected. Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides was recorded from Rattus rattus, Bandicota indica, Mus fernandoni, Golunda ellioti and Suncus murinus; H. spinigera from R. rattus, B. indica and S. murinus; I. ceylonensis from M. cervicolor and R. rattus; D. auratus from R. rattus; both X. cheopis and S. phoberus were collected only from R. rattus; S. aporus from R. rattus and M. fernandoni. Though, all species of parasites reported here have been previously recorded from Sri Lanka, D. auratus and H. spinigera are reported for the first time from murine rodents and shrews. We also report here several new host records for the country: R. haemaphysaloides from B. indica, G. ellioti and S. murinus; H. spinigera from B. indica and S. murinus; D. auratus and S. aporus from R. rattus; larvae of I. ceylonensis from M. cervicolor