Myodopsylla trisellis Jordan , 1929

Orlova, M. V. & Orlov, O. L., 2015, Attempt To Define The Complexes Of Bat Ectoparasites In The Boreal Palaearctic Region, Vestnik Zoologii 49 (1), pp. 75-86 : 83-84

Myodopsylla trisellis Jordan, 1929

Species is found in most parts of Russia (from Leningrad Region to the Primorsky territory and Kamchatka). The north-western border runs through the territory of the Baltic States. The main hosts — species of the genus Myotis ( Hopkins, Rothschild, 1956; Medvedev, Masing, 1987; Medvedev, 1989; Medvedev et al., 1991; Orlova, 2011).

Obviously, Macronyssus charusnurensis , Steatonyssus superans and Myodopsylla trisellis can be combined into a separate group with the Siberia-Far East species penetrating the west. Perhaps Macronyssus charusnurensis tends towards oligoxeny on several species Myotis and it gives them the opportunity to penetrate into the territory of the Urals through Kazakhstan, but its findings out of the main host are rare and mainly represented by immature individuals ( Orlova, 2014). Numerous finds of Steatonyssus superans in the Urals indicate the active expansion of this species to the west. Transfer of S. superans through the “chiropterological desert”, apparently, is related to its preferred host — particoloured bat ( Orlova, 2014). M. trisellis is absent in the Western Palearctic, which may indicate the penetration of the species from North America through Beringia (this assumption is confirmed by the fact that other species of the genus Myodopsylla are found only in North and South America) ( Medvedev, 1989) and further spread from east to west through the territory of Northern Eurasia. Pervasion to the Urals and west is probably due to the pond bat. Further penetration of M. trisellis to the west might be obstructed by the European subcomplex ectoparasite species with which M. trisellis clearly occupies a similar ecological niche.

In turn, Macronyssus corethroproctus , M. ellipticus and Steatonyssus periblepharus can distinguish a group of European-Ural species of penetration to the east. M. corethroproctus adjudged to Siberia with the main host — pond bat, but its status in the parasitic community is undergoing significant changes: from the species of “core” with high extensity and mean intensity indexes ( Orlova et al., 2012) it turns into a species-satellite ( Balashov, 2009), the findings of which are presented in single examples. The reasons for this phenomenon is not possible to establish, but we can assume that it cannot compete with the East Palaearctic species complex (in particular, single finds pond Myotis in Barsukovskaya cave indicate that these bats’ ectoparasite community includes mainly two gamasid mites species of the genus Macronyssus that are unknown to science) (own data). In addition, to the east of the Ural Mountains, the pond bat does not form large colonies. Low host numbers also reduce the number of its specific ectoparasites. M. ellipticus and S. periblepharus may bypass the south “chiropterological desert” with species of bats that live in the steppes and semideserts. S. periblepharus further distribution in the subboreal belt of Eastern Palaearctic with different species of bats. The degree of penetration of M. ellipticus in Siberia is difficult to ascertain because of the absence of findings, which may be due to the scarcity of the species.

Overall, despite a roughly equal ratio of gamasid mites (16 species) and insects (14 species) of ectoparasites boreal bats, their distribution in the Palearctic vary. Almost two thirds of gamasid mites (10 species) are: trans-spread or come in groups of species spread across the two complexes. Insects’ relationship is reversed: 10 of the 14 species are found only in one part of the Palearctic (fleas are often quite limited in the extent of the zone of distribution), and only 4 have transpalaearctic or close to that distribution.

Thus, 30 species of ectoparasites boreal Palaearctic combined into three faunal complex and two independent groups. Complexes are characterised by different ratios of mites and insects. Thus, the European-Ural complex includes eight species, six of which are insects (five species of fleas and one bat fly). Four flea species are emerging in the European subcomplex of the complex. Siberian and Far Eastern complex is represented by eight species, half of which are gamasid mites, half — insects, one species of which has a narrow spread of the Far East. The Transpalaearctic complex includes seven species, five of which are gamasid mites (including three species of the genus Spinturnix ). Ectoparasites species group are unequally spread in the Palearctic and are also represented by mainly gamasid mites (five of six species).

The authors are grateful to A. V. Zhigalin for the help provided with the fieldwork. This work was supported by the laboratory monitoring of biodiversity of the National Research Tomsk State University.