Moorhen flea

Moorhen flea
Moorhen flea
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Siphonaptera
Family: Ceratophyllidae
Genus: Dasypsyllus
Species: D. gallinulae
Binomial name
Dasypsyllus gallinulae
(Dale, 1878)

The moorhen flea, Dasypsyllus gallinulae, originally from South America, is now a globally widespread flea species. 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.[1]

It is found in bird nests, and is more likely to be found on the bird's body than, say, the chicken flea Dasypsyllus gallinae, 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 and Eurasian Treecreeper.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b Rothschild, Miriam; Clay, Theresa (1953). Fleas, Flukes and Cuckoos. A study of bird parasites. London: Collins. p. 113. http://ia331318.us.archive.org/1/items/fleasflukescucko017900mbp/fleasflukescucko017900mbp.pdf. 
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