Great Basin Naturalist Great Basin Naturalist

Volume 52 Number 4 Article 14

12-30-1992

Siphonaptera (fleas) collected from small mammals in montane Siphonaptera (fleas) collected from small mammals in montane

southern Utah southern Utah

James R. Kucera Salt Lake City, Utah

Glenn E. Haas Boulder City, Nevada

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Recommended Citation Recommended Citation Kucera, James R. and Haas, Glenn E. (1992) "Siphonaptera (fleas) collected from small mammals in montane southern Utah," Great Basin Naturalist: Vol. 52 : No. 4 , Article 14. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/gbn/vol52/iss4/14

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Great Basin Naturalist .52(4), pp. 382-384

SIPHONAPTERA (FLEAS) COLLECTED FROM SMALL MAMMALSIN MONTANE SOUTHERN UTAH

James R. Kneer} and Glenn E. Haas2

Key tlXJnl.s: fleas, Siphonaptera, Utah, nutfnflUlls.

Recent collections from various small mam­mals of southern Utah have helped to elucidatethe distribution of fleas (Siphonaptera) withinthe state, ofspecial interest were fleas of mam­mals found in forested, high-mountain areas ofthe southernmost part ofUtah-,an area ofcom­plex topography containing habitat vaIying fromlow desert to subalpine coniferous forests. Inparticular, we sampled the small mammal fleafauna of the Abajo Mountains (San JuanCounty), the La Sal Mountains (GrandiSan Juancounties), and the Pine Valley Mountains(Washington County), These ranges have beensparsely surveyed in this respect, as evidencedby review of the seminal work of Stark (1959),After excluding 22 records (13 00,37 9 9) ofthe ubiquitous deer mouse fleaAethecawagneri(Baker), which occurs in all counties of Utah(Beck 1955), we present and discuss the signif~

icance of 42 new records of 12 species of fleas.A parallel survey offleas found in mammal nestswill be presented elsewhere (Haas and Kucera,in preparation),

Mammal nomenclature is that of Hall(1981), However, designations of long-tailedvole subspecies should be considered tentativebecause of the present confused state of theirtaxonomy. Mammals were collected with Sher­man live-traps at all localities exeept Pinescampground, Pine Valley Mountains, and snap­traps were used at all three localities in the PineValley Mountains and at Oowah Lake camp­ground, La Sal Mountains, An asterisk (')denotes that the host specimen (or at least onehost specimen) was depoSited in the mammalcollection of the University of Utah Museum of,

14655 SOlllh UK;\lsl Lane Jt17. S;Jt Lak<1 City, Utnh 84111.2557 California Stronl #7, BOll1der City. Nevada 8900S.

Natural History, Flea specimens aI'e retained bythe authors,

HystrichopsyUa dippiei truncataHolland, 1957

Peromyscus meniculatus "'finus, San JuanCo,: Abajo Mts" Dalton Springs campground,2560 m, 8 September 1991; 10, Microtuslongicaudus alticole', idem, 19 '

Hystrichopsylla oceidentalis sylvaticusCampos & Stark, 1979

Peromysc1-ts hoylii utahensis*. WashingtonCo,: Pine Valley Mts" North Juniper Park camp­ground, 2122 m, 10 November 19m: 3 9 1',Peromyscus rnaniculatus sOfwriensi.... Washing­ton Co,: Pine Valley Mts" Pines campground,2079 m, 12 June 1991; 1 9,

Fleas ofthe genus Hysirichopsylla aI'e foundon a variety of small mammals in mesic to moisthabitats, These are the first records ofH, dippieitron-cata from southeastern Utah. Campos andStark (1979) record H, 0, sylvaticus from SanJuan Co., but our records of this taxon are thefirst from southwestern Utah.

Corrodopsylla curvata curvata(Rothschild, 1915)

Sorex palustris navigator (Baird)', GrandCo,: LaSal Mts" meadow at Oowah Lake, 2769m, 15 June 19m: 13, 11' from each of twoshrews.

The only previous published records fromUtah of C, c, curoota are both from northernUtah: Rich Co, (Bear Lake; collection by Stan­ford published by Tipton ;md Allred [1951:107]) and Salt Lake Co, (Wasatch Mts,; Egoscue1988), These records are from unidentified

382

1992] NarES 383

Sorex spp. Records of C. c. obtusata ex watershrews are given from Tooele Co. by Egoscue(1966, 1988). Published records ofC. c. curoatafrom southwestern states are sparse: Haas et al.(1973) record it £i'om New Mexico. Additionalcollecting may reveal its presence in the AbajaMts., since water shrews are known to occurthere (Schafer 1991).

RhadinopsyUa se<-tilis sectilis(jordan & Rothschild, 1923)

PeromrJseus maniculatus sotuJriensis. Wash­ington Co.: Pine Valley Mts., North Juniper Parkcampground, 2119 m, 10 November 1991; Ie.

This species is known from only one area ofsouthern Utah (Garlleld Co., vic. Panguitch,Stark 1959), but not previously from southwest·ern Utah. This specimen possesses 5 spines inthe genal comb, as do other Utah specimens(Stark 1959, and unpublished data), but cbarac·ters of the genitalia are clearly refemble to R. s.sectilis mther than R. s. goodi (Hubbard 1941).Stark (1959) noted that the genal spine numberof Utah specimens is not consistent with theoriginal description of R. s. sectil;.,.

CataUagia decipiens Rothschild, 1915

Peromyscus maniculatus refin"". San JuanCo.: Abajo Mts., Dalton Springs campground,2560 m, 8 September 1991; 1 c. P. m. rofinus.idem, 1 c. Tamias sp. idem, 2 cc. P. m. rofinus.Grand Co.: LaSal Mts., Oowah Lake camp­ground, 2682 m, 15 June 1991; 1 c, 2 'f 'f.

These are apparently the llrst specillcrecords published for that part of Utah south ofthe Colorado River. Beck (1955: Table 3) lists itas occurring in San Juan County.

PeromyscopsyUa selenis (Rothschild, 1906)

Peromyscus manicolatus rofinus. San JuanCo.: Abajo Mts., Dalton Springs cmnpground,2560 m, 8 September 1991; 1 c. Microtuslongicaudus alttcolo·. idem, 1 c. M. I. altimla.idem, 1 'f. M. I. lotus. Washington Co.: PineVaney Mts., Pines campground, 2079 01, 12June1991; 2 cc, 1 'f.

This species was not previously known li'omUtah south of the Colorado River. Johnson andTraub (1954) give a record from Iron County,bordering Washington County to the north.This species is most commonly collected fromMicrotus spp., but ,Jso from other small mam·mals sympatric with the voles.

PeromyscopsyUa hespero71lYs adelpho(Rothschild, 1915)

Peromyscus manU-ulatus fl;,ftnus. GrandCo.: LaSal Mts., Oowah Lake campground,2682 m, 15 June 1991; 1 c, 2 'f 'f.

Johnson and Traub (1954) record this spe·cies from Beaver, Box Elder, Millard, San Juan,and Washington counties.

Opisodnsys keelli (Baker, 1896)

PeromysCl.J..s maniculatus sonoriensis .. Wash­ington Co.: Pine ValJey Mts., N Juniper Parkcampground, 2119 m, .1.0 November 1991; 1 'ffrom each of three hosts. Pemmysms boyliirowleyi. idem (2122 m.), 3 I' 'f. P. m. SOMri",,·

sis. Washington Co.: Pine Valley Mts., Pinescampground, 2079 m, 11 June 1991; 1 'f. P. m.s01lonensis. idem, 12 June 1991, I 'f. P.m.sunoriensis. idem, 1 <5. Peromyscu.s crinitus ssp.Washington Co.: helow dam at Baker Dam Res·ervoir, foothiHs of Pine Valley Mts., 1463 m, 12May 1991; 1 'f.

. No known records ofthis species from south­ern Utah are published other than that of Hub·bard (1947:111, Garfield Co.). Stark (1959)noted that this species is collected only in moun·tainous areas or moist habitats. We have ...usofound this to be true (unpublished data). Per·O1nysr....us spp. are the usual host.

Malaraeus telchinns (Rothschild, 1905)

Peromyscus maniculatus sOfuniensis, Wash­ington Co.: Pine Valley Mts., N Juniper Parkcampground, 2119 m, 10 November 1991; 2C c, 1 'f. P. m. s01lOriensis. idem, 1 c, 1 <;>. P.m. sonorien.W. idem, 2 9 9. P. m, sonoriensis.idem, 1 'f. PeromysCtls boyIii rowleyi. idem, 1'f.

Malaraeus si1Wmus (Jordan, 1925)

Peromyscus crinitus ssp. ~ashington Co.:below Baker Dam Reservoir, foothills of PineValley Mts., 146301,11 May 1991, 1 c, 4 'f 'f.P erinitus ssp. idem, 12 May 1991, 1 c, 2 'f 'f.P. cnndus ssp. idem, 1 c, 4 'f 'f. Peromyscustruet troei. idem, 3 'f 'f. P. t. truei. idem, 1 c, 2'f 'f. P. boylii rowleyi. idem, 1 c. P. boyliirowleyt. idem, 2 'f 'f.

Beck (1955: Table 3) lists Malaraetlstelchinus as occurring in Washington County.Hubbard (]947: 200) gives the only specillcrecord from southern Utah (Garfield Co.).Huwever. several records of M .. sino11UtS fromdesert areas ofsouthern Utah are given by Stark

384 GREAT BASIN NATURALIST [Volume 52

(959). Also, many specimens of M. sinomusfrom Peromyscus crinitus were taken by thesenior author in Snow Canyon (Washington Co.)incidental to the search for Traubella gnmdmanniEgoscue, 1989. M. telchinus seems to be like O.keeni in being found only in nondesert habitat.

Megabothl1S ahan!is (Rothschild, 1905)

Micro/us longicaudus alticola. Grand Co.:LaSal Mts., meadow at Oowah Lake, 2676 m,14 June 1991; 10,1'< . Peromyscus maniculatusrufillus. idem, 1 '<. M.l. alticola. idem, 1 2. M.I. alticola. idem, 15 June 1991, 10, 12. M. l.alticola. S,m Juan Co., Abajo Mts., Dalton Springscampground, 2560 m, 8 September 1991, 1 O.

Beck (1955: Table 3) listed this species asoccurring in Beaver, Iron, Sevier, and Waynecounties. This was apparently overlooked byStark (1959: 196), who stated, "This flea appearsconfined to the northern half of the state."Egoscue (1988) reported collecting one malespecimen from a pika at Johmon ReselVOir,Sevier County, in south central Utah. The dis­tribution map of Haddow et a!. (1983: Map 76)indicates a locality record in that same region ofUtah. Our records are the first for southeasternUtah. Megabothris ahantis is usually found onvarious species of Microtus.

Eumolpianu.s eunwlpi americanus(Hubbard, 1950)

Tamias sp. San Juan Co.: Abajo Mts., DaltonSprings campground, 2560 m, 8 September1991; 222.

These specimens seem closer to E. e. amer­iconus than to E. e. eumolpi recorded by Beck(1955, then in the genus MOllopsyllus). Severalof the type specimens were collected in SanJuan County (Hubbard 1950). Johnson (1961)indicates that intergradation bet.weenE. e. amen­cmws and E. e. eumalpi occurs in the county.

In summary, the significant findings among64 collection records of 13 species of fleas are asfollows: the first records south of the ColoradoRiver in southeastern Utah for Hystrichopsylladippiei truncata, Corrodopsylla c. eurvata, Per­omyscopsylla selenis, and Megahothris ahantis;and the first in Washington County, southwest­ern Utah, for H. occidentalis sylvatieus, Rhad­i1lOpsylla s. sectilis, P. selenis, and OpisodJJsys keen;

ACKNOWLEDCMENTS

We thank H. Egoscue and C. Pritchett fortheir review of the manuscript; and E. Rickart,University of Utah Museum of Natural History,for assistance in identifying some PeromyscusspeCImens.

LITERATURE CITED

BECK, D E. 1955. Distributional studies of parasitic arthro­pods in Utah, determined as actual and potential vec­tors of Rocky Mountain spotted. fever ana plague, \vithnotes on vector-host relationships. Bligbam YoungUniversity Science Bulletin, Biological Series 1 (1).

CAMPOS, E. A., AND H. E. Sr.-\RK.1979. A revaluation [sic]of the Hystrichopsylla occidentalis group, with descrip­tion of a new subspecies (Siphonaptera:Hystrichopsyllidae). Journal of Medicnl Entomology15,431-444.

EGOSCUE. H. E. 1966. New and additional host-flea associ­ations and distributional records of fleas from Utah.Great Basin Naturalist 26: 71-75.

_---,_.. 1988. Noteworthy flea records from Utah, Nevada,and Oregon. Great Basin Natumlist 4$: 530-532.

_-,,,:' 1989. A new species of the Genus Traubelln(Siphonaptera: Ceratophyllidae). Bulletin of theSouthern California AcademyofScien<.:es 88: 131-134.

l-IMs, C. E., R. P. MARTIN. M. SWICKARD, ... I\D B. E.MILLF:R. 1973. Siphonaptera-mammal relationships ionorthcentral Nev.' Mexico. Journal of Medical Ento­mology m 281-289.

HmDow. J., R. THAUB. Al\D M. ROTHSCHILD. 1963. Dis­tribution ofceratoph)'llid fleas and notes on their hosts.Pages 42-163 in R. Trnub, M. Rothschild, and J. F.Haddow, The Rothschild collection of fleas-theCemtophyllidae: keys to the genera and host relation­ships with notes on their evolution, zoogeography andmedical importance. 288 pp. [Privately published J

HALL. E. RI981. The mammals of North America. 2nded.2 volumes. JoOO \VL1ey & Sons, Inc., New York 1181 pp.

HUBDAIID. C. A 194i. Fleas of Western ~orth America.Iowa State College Press. 533 pp.

~--,-' ]950. A pictorial review of the North Americanchipmunk fleas. Entomological News 60: 253-261.

JOHNSON. P. T. 1961. A revision of the species of Mono­psyllus Kolenati in North America (Siphonaptera,Cerntophyllidae). Technical Bulletin No. 1227, Agri­cultural Research Service, U.s. Department of Agricul­ture. 69 pp.

JOIINSON, P. T., AND R. ntt\UB. 1954. Revision of the fleagenus PeromyscopsyRa. Smithsonian MiscellaneousCollections. Vol. 123. No. 4. 68 pp.

ScHAFER. T. S. 1991. Mammals of the Abajo Mountains, anisolated mountain range in San Juan County, southeast­em Utah. OccasionaL Papers No. 137. 1be Museum,Texas Tech University, Lubbock.

STABK. H. E. 1959. The Siphonaptera of Utah. U.S. Depart­ment of Health, Education and Welfare, Communica­ble Disease Center, Atlanta, Georgia. 239 pp.

TIl'TON. V. J., AND D. M. ALLHED. 1951. New distributionrecords of Utah Siphonaptera with the description ofanew species of Megarthmglossus Jordan and Roth­schild, 1915. Great Basin Naturalist Ii; 105-114.

R£ceilied 22 May 1992Accepted 2 No",,,,ber 1992