Lagaropsylla idae Smit, 1957

Hastriter, Michael W., 2016, Description of two new species of bat fleas of the genus Araeopsylla (Siphonaptera) from Kenya and Madagascar with notes on miscellaneous bat fleas, ZooKeys 572, pp. 7-21 : 15-16

Taxon classification Animalia Siphonaptera Ischnopsyllidae

Lagaropsylla idae Smit, 1957

Lagaropsylla idae Smit, 1957: 165-167; Marcus 1961: 196-199; Smit 1964: 44; 1968: 13-14.

Lagaropsylla setzeri Segerman, 1970: 3-5; Smit and Wright 1978: 43; Lewis and Lewis 1990: 139. (Synonym)

Lagaropsylla idae Ribiero, 1974: 144; Beaucournu and Fain 1983: 455; Beaucournu and Guiguen 1991: 129; Beaucournu and Kock 1994b: 199, 1996: 164; Beaucournu 2004: 207; Lewis 2006: 48.

Remarks.

Beaucournu (2004) suggested that Mops condylurus (A. Smith, 1833) is the principle host of Lagaropsylla idae . Specimens of Lagaropsylla idae in my collection from Ghana and Kenya were also collected from Mops condylurus . This host is widely distributed across Africa but is not found in Madagascar. Mops leucostigma , endemic to Madagascar, is very closely allied to the mainland species Mops condylurus . A total of 147 specimens (64♂, 83♀) to include those listed in the "Materials examined" section below and those preserved in alcohol in the FMNH was collected from 28 specimens of Mops leucostigma , yielding a flea intensity of 5.3 fleas per host. An average of 5+ fleas per host is a very high flea intensity for any bat flea, as bat fleas in general, are usually found in extremely low numbers. Mops leucostigma is the preferred host of Lagaropsylla idae in Madagascar and it was not collected from any other bat species in Madagascar.

Material examined

(BYUC). Ghana, Eastern Region: Teshi, Accra Plains (05°34"N, 00°00'6"W), Mops condylurus (USNM-412535), 26 XI 1967, CBR-1931, 2♂; Volta, Denu (06°06'N, 00°10'9"E), Mops condylurus (USNM-412667), 31 VIII 1967, AK-138, 1♂, 1♀. Kenya, Eastern Region: Mtoto Andei (02°41'S, 03°8'08"E), Chaerephon pumilus (Cretzschmar, 1830) (USNM-437019), 9 VII 1968, BJH-4846, 1♂; same data except Mops condylurus (USNM-437225), BJH-4844, 1♀; Kiboko (02°12'S, 03°7'42"E), Mops condylurus (USNM-437181), 4 VII 1968, BJH-4684, 1♂. Kenya, Rift Valley: Maji Moto, Nycticeinops schlieffeni (Peters, 1859) (USNM-436774), 24 VIII 1968, BJH-5610, 1♂, 2♀. Madagascar, Toamasina Province: Andasibe, Bureau du Poste (18°55'18"S, 48°25'18"E), 950 m, Mops leucostigman ♂ G.M. Allen, 1918 (RHF-13), 14 IX 2004, FHR, 1♀; Anjiro, Andranoalina (18°52'57"S, 47°58'15"E), 850 m, Mops leucostigma ♂ (RHF-532), 7 II 2005, FHR, 1♂. Toliara Province: Sakaraha, Bureau Eau et Forets (22°54'34"S, 44°31'20"E), 470 m, Mops leucostigma ♂ (RHF-202), 15 X 2004, FHR, 1♀, same data except Mops leucostigma ♀ (RHF-206), 1♂; Andranovory, Hòpital (23°08'37"S, 44°08'41"E), 500 m, Mops leucostigma ♂ (RHF-179), 13 X 2004, FHR, 1♂, same data except Mops leucostigma ♂ (RHF-181), 1♀.