TY - JOUR
T1 - Fleas (Insecta: Siphonaptera) of Peru
T2 - A Review of Their Diversity and the Host Specificity in the Country
AU - Minaya, David
AU - Flores-Bancayan, Carolina
AU - Pellón, Juan J.
AU - Iannacone, José
AU - Lareschi, Marcela
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 by the authors.
PY - 2024/12
Y1 - 2024/12
N2 - In the Neotropical biogeographic region, there are about 290 known species and subspecies of fleas, which have as their main hosts to the rodent subfamily Sigmodontinae. In Peru, more than 22 years have passed since the last list of known flea species was published. This study presents a review and update of the fleas recorded in Peru from 1908 to 2024. This list contains information on the flea species, including their known hosts, the localities in Peru where they were reported, the main references and some comments. In addition, the specificity of flea–host interactions was assessed using an interaction network approach. In the literature review, 86 flea species were found distributed among 9 families, 34 genera and 19 subspecies. These fleas were recorded parasitizing at least71 species of mammals and birds (14 orders, 28 families, 54 genera), 15 reported only at the genera level and seven undetermined ones. The flea–host interaction network exhibited a modular structure, indicating that these interactions tend to be specialized. A sigmodontine rodent (Akodon mollis) and a Rhopalopsyllidae flea (Polygenis litargus) were highly connected across modules and the overall network, and thus were important to maintain the structure. This review contributes to the knowledge of fleas in Peru, synthesizing the scattered information and providing information on the interaction they have with their hosts.
AB - In the Neotropical biogeographic region, there are about 290 known species and subspecies of fleas, which have as their main hosts to the rodent subfamily Sigmodontinae. In Peru, more than 22 years have passed since the last list of known flea species was published. This study presents a review and update of the fleas recorded in Peru from 1908 to 2024. This list contains information on the flea species, including their known hosts, the localities in Peru where they were reported, the main references and some comments. In addition, the specificity of flea–host interactions was assessed using an interaction network approach. In the literature review, 86 flea species were found distributed among 9 families, 34 genera and 19 subspecies. These fleas were recorded parasitizing at least71 species of mammals and birds (14 orders, 28 families, 54 genera), 15 reported only at the genera level and seven undetermined ones. The flea–host interaction network exhibited a modular structure, indicating that these interactions tend to be specialized. A sigmodontine rodent (Akodon mollis) and a Rhopalopsyllidae flea (Polygenis litargus) were highly connected across modules and the overall network, and thus were important to maintain the structure. This review contributes to the knowledge of fleas in Peru, synthesizing the scattered information and providing information on the interaction they have with their hosts.
KW - Peru
KW - Siphonaptera
KW - fleas
KW - interaction networks
KW - modularity
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85213379048&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/d16120762
DO - 10.3390/d16120762
M3 - Artículo de revisión
AN - SCOPUS:85213379048
SN - 1424-2818
VL - 16
JO - Diversity
JF - Diversity
IS - 12
M1 - 762
ER -