Biology:Moorhen flea

From HandWiki
Short description: Species of flea

Moorhen flea
Male moorhen flea
Scientific classification edit
Script error: No such module "Taxobox ranks".: Animalia
Script error: No such module "Taxobox ranks".: Arthropoda
Script error: No such module "Taxobox ranks".: Insecta
Script error: No such module "Taxobox ranks".: Siphonaptera
Script error: No such module "Taxobox ranks".: Ceratophyllidae
Script error: No such module "Taxobox ranks".: Dasypsyllus
Script error: No such module "Taxobox ranks".: <div style="display:inline" class="script error: no such module "taxobox ranks".">D. gallinulae
Binomial name
Dasypsyllus gallinulae
(Dale, 1878)

The moorhen flea (Dasypsyllus gallinulae)[1] is a flea originating from South America. It is now globally widespread. It is a large flea, easily identified because the male has two heavy horn-like spines on one of the genital flaps, and the female has a deep "bite" on the seventh sternite.[2]

It is found in bird nests, and is more likely to be found on the bird's body than, say, the chicken flea, which is normally found in the nest. The moorhen flea's many hosts include the common moorhen, Eurasian woodcock, grouse, European robin, goldcrest, willow tit, Eurasian treecreeper[2] and blackbirds. [3]

References

  1. 2.0 2.1 Rothschild, Miriam; Clay, Theresa (1957). Fleas, Flukes and Cuckoos. A study of bird parasites. New York: Macmillan. p. 113. https://archive.org/details/fleasflukescucko00roth. 
  2. Fowler, J. A.; Cohen, Sharon; Greenwood, M. T (1983). "Seasonal Variation In The Infestation Of Blackbirds By Fleas". Bird Study 30 (3): 240–242. doi:10.1080/00063658309476804. ISSN 1944-6705. Bibcode1983BirdS..30..240F. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00063658309476804. Retrieved 2021-02-21. 

Wikidata ☰ Q6908392 entry