Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

What are the factors determining the probability of discovering a flea species (Siphonaptera)?

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Parasitology Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Our aim was to determine which of four variables (number of host species exploited by the parasite, taxonomic distinctness of these hosts, geographic range of the principal host, and year of description of this host) was the best predictor of description date of fleas. The study used previously published data on 297 flea species parasitic on 197 species of small mammals from 34 different regions of the Holarctic and one region from the Neotropics. We used both simple linear and multiple regressions to evaluate the relationships between the four predictor variables and the year of flea description, on species values as well as on phylogenetically independent contrasts. Whether or not the analyses controlled for flea phylogeny, all predictor variables correlated significantly with year of flea description when tested separately. In multiple regressions, however, the number of exploited host species was the best predictor of the date of flea description, with the geographic range of the principal host species as well as the date of its description having a lesser, though significant, influence. Overall, our results indicate that a flea species is more likely to be discovered and described early if its biological characteristics (exploitation of many host species) and those of its hosts (long-known to science, broad geographic distributions) increase its chances of being included in a collection. Because the variables we investigated only explained about 10–11% of the variation in year of description among flea species, other factors must be important, such as temporal variability in the activity of flea taxonomists.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alania II, Rostigaev BA, Shiranovich PI, Dzneladze MT (1964) Data on the flea fauna of Adzharia. Proc Armenian Anti-Plague Station 3:407–435 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Allred DM (1968) Fleas of the national reactor testing station. Great Basin Nat 28:73–87

    Google Scholar 

  • Allsop PG (1997) Probability of describing an Australian scarab beetle: influence of body size and distribution. J Biogeogr 24:717–724

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blackburn TM, Gaston KJ (1995) What determines the probability of discovering a species? A study of South American oscine passerine birds. J Biogeogr 22:7–14

    Google Scholar 

  • Burdelova NV (1996) Flea fauna of some small mammals in Dzhungarskyi Alatau. In: Burdelov LA (ed) Proceeding of the conference “ecological aspects of epidemiology and epizootology of plague and other dangerous diseases.” Middle Asian Science Anti-Plague Institute, Almaty, Kazakhstan, pp 119–120 (in Russian)

  • Cabrero-Sanudo FJ, Lobo JM (2003) Estimating the number of species not yet described and their characteristics: the case of the Western Palaearctic dung beetle species (Coleoptera, Scarabaeoidea). Biodivers Conserv 12:147–166

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Collen B, Purvis A, Gittelman JL (2004) Biological correlates of description date in carnivores and primates. Global Ecol Biogeogr 13:459–467

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davis RM, Smith RT, Madon MB, Sitko-Cleugh E (2002) Flea, rodent and plague ecology at Chichupate Campground, Ventura County, California. J Vector Ecol 27:107–127

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Elshanskaya NI, Popov MN (1972) Zoologico-parasitological characteristics of the river Kenkeme valley (Central Yakutia). In: Kolosova LD, Lukyanova IV (eds) Theriology, vol 1. Nauka Publishing House Siberian Branch, Novosibirsk, USSR, pp 368–372 (in Russian)

  • Emelyanova ND, Shtilmark FR (1967) Fleas of insectivores, rodents and lagomorphs of the central part of Western Sayan. Proc Irkutsk State Sci Anti-Plague Inst Siberia Far East 27:241–253 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Felsenstein J (1985) Phylogenies and the comparative method. Am Nat 125:1–15

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garland T Jr, Harvey PH, Ives AR (1992) Procedures for the analysis of comparative data using phylogenetically independent contrasts. Am Nat 41:18–32

    Google Scholar 

  • Garland T Jr, Dickerman AWC, Janis M, Jones JA (1993) Phylogenetic analysis of covariance by computer simulation. Syst Biol 42:265–292

    Google Scholar 

  • Gaston KJ (1991) Body size and probability of description: the beetle fauna of Britain. Ecol Entomol 16:505–508

    Google Scholar 

  • Gaston KJ, Blackburn TM (1994) Are newly described bird species small bodied? Biodivers Lett 2:16–20

    Google Scholar 

  • Gaston KJ, Blackburn TM, Loder N (1995) Which species are described first? The case of North American butterflies. Biodivers Conserv 4:119–127

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harvey PH, Pagel MD (1991) A comparative method in evolutionary biology. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Heywood VH, Watson RT (1995) Global biodiversity assessment. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Hopkins GHE, Rothschild M (1953) An illustrated catalogue of the Rothschild collection of fleas (Siphonaptera) in the British Museum (Natural History), vol I. Tungidae and Pulicidae. Trustees British Museum, London

  • Hopkins GHE, Rothschild M (1956) An illustrated catalogue of the Rothschild collection of fleas (Siphonaptera) in the British Museum (Natural History), vol II. Coptopsyllidae, Vermipsyllidae, Stephanocircidae, Ischnopsyllidae, Hypsophthalmidae and Xiphiopsyllidae. Trustees British Museum, London

  • Hopkins GHE, Rothschild M (1962) An illustrated catalogue of the Rothschild collection of fleas (Siphonaptera) in the British Museum (Natural History), vol III. Hystrichopsyllidae. Trustees British Museum, London

  • Hopkins GHE, Rothschild M (1966) An illustrated catalogue of the Rothschild collection of fleas (Siphonaptera) in the British Museum (Natural History), vol IV. Hystrichopsyllidae. Trustees British Museum, London

  • Hopkins GHE, Rothschild M (1971) An illustrated catalogue of the Rothschild collection of fleas (Siphonaptera) in the British Museum (Natural History), vol V. Leptopsyllidae and Ancistropsyllidae. Trustees British Museum, London

  • Ioff IG, Tiflova VE, Argyropulo AI, Fedina OA, Dudolkina LA, Shiranovich PI (1946) News species of fleas (Aphaniptera). Med Parasitol 15:85–94 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Jordan K, Rothschild NC (1915a) On some Siphonaptera collected by W. Ruckbeil in East Turkestan. Ectoparasites 1:1–24

    Google Scholar 

  • Jordan K, Rothschild NC (1915b) Contribution to our knowledge of American Siphonaptera. Ectoparasites 1:45–60

    Google Scholar 

  • Koshkin SM (1966) Data on the flea fauna in the Sovetskaya Gavan. Proc Irkutsk State Sci Anti-Plague Inst Siberia Far East 26:242–248 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kozlovskaya OL (1958) Flea (Aphaniptera) fauna of rodents from of the river Ussury valley in the Khabarovsk region. Proc Irkutsk State Sci Anti-Plague Inst Siberia Far East 17:109–116 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Krasnov BR, Shenbrot GI, Medvedev SG, Vatschenok VS, Khokhlova IS (1997) Host-habitat relations as an important determinant of spatial distribution of flea assemblages (Siphonaptera) on rodents in the Negev Desert. Parasitology 114:159–173

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Krasnov BR, Shenbrot GI, Khokhlova IS, Degen AA (2004) Ectoparasite species richness and characteristics of host body, host geography and host “milieu”. J Anim Ecol 73:1121–1128

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kunitsky VN, Kunitskaya NT (1962) Fleas of the southwestern Azerbaijan. Proc Azerbajanian Anti-Plague Station 3:156–169 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Labunets NF (1967) Zoogeographic characteristics of the western Khanday. Proc Irkutsk State Sci Anti-Plague Inst Siberia Far East 27:231240–231341 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Leonov YA (1958) Fleas parasitic on rodents of the southern part of Primorye (Far East). Proc Irkutsk State Sci Anti-Plague Inst Siberia Far East 17:147–152 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Letov GS, Emelyanova ND, Letova GI, Sulimov AD (1966) Rodents and their ectoparasites in the settlements of Tuva. Proc Irkutsk State Sci Anti-Plague Inst Siberia Far East 26:270–276 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Linsdale JM, Davis BS (1956) Taxonomic appraisal and occurrence of fleas at the Hastings Reservation in Central California. Univ Calif Publ Zool 54:293–370

    Google Scholar 

  • Maddison WP, Maddison DR (2004) Mesquite: a modular system for evolutionary analysis. Version 1.04. http://mesquiteproject.org

  • Martinez-Meyer E, Peterson AT, Hargrove WW (2004) Ecological niches as stable distributional constraints on mammal species, with implications for Pleistocene extinctions and climate change projections for biodiversity. Global Ecol Biogeogr 13:305–314

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Medellin RA, Soberon J (1999) Predictions of mammal diversity on four land masses. Conserv Biol 13:143–149

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Medvedev SG (1998) Classification of fleas (order Siphonaptera) and its theoretical foundations. Entomol Rev 78:511–521

    Google Scholar 

  • Medvedev SG, Lobanov AL (1999) Information-analytic system of the World fauna of fleas (Siphonaptera): results and prospects of development. Entomol Rev 79:654–665

    Google Scholar 

  • Midford PE, Garland T Jr, Maddison WP (2003) PDAP:PDTREE package for Mesquite, Version 1.00. http://mesquiteproject.org/pdap_mesquite/index.html

  • Mikulin MA (1958) Data on fleas of the Middle Asia and Kazakhstan. 5. Fleas of the Tarbagatai. Proc Middle Asian Sci Anti-Plague Inst 4:227–240 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Mikulin MA (1959a) Data on fleas of the Middle Asia and Kazakhstan. 10. Fleas of the eastern Balkhash desert, Trans-Alakul desert and Sungorian Gates. Proc Middle Asian Sci Anti-Plague Inst 6:205–220 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Mikulin MA (1959b) Data on fleas of the Middle Asia and Kazakhstan. 8. Fleas of the Akmolinsk region. Proc Middle Asian Sci Anti-Plague Inst 5:237–245 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • de Moraes LB, Bossi DEP, Linhares AX (2003) Siphonaptera parasites of wild rodents and marsupials trapped in three mountain ranges of the Atlantic forest in southeastern Brazil. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 98:1071–1076

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Morlan HB (1955) Mammal fleas of Santa Fe County, New Mexico. TX Rep Biol Med 13:93–125

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Morozkina EA, Lysenko LS, Kafarskaya DG (1971) Fleas of the red marmot (Marmota caudata) and other animals inhabiting the Gissar ridge. Probl Particularly Dangerous Infect (Works Anti-Plague Establishments) 1(17):38–44 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Nazarova IV (1981) Fleas of the Volga–Kama region. Nauka Publishing House, Moscow, USSR (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Pagel M (1992) A method for the analysis of comparative data. J Theor Biol 156:431–442

    Google Scholar 

  • Paramonov BB, Emelyanova ND, Zarubina VN, Kontrimavitchus VL (1966) Materials for the study of ectoparasites of rodents and shrews of the Kamchatka peninsula. Proc Irkutsk State Sci Anti-Plague Inst Siberia Far East 26 333–341 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Pauller OF, Elshanskaya NI, Shvetsova IV (1966) Ecological and faunistical review of mammalian and bird ectoparasites in the tularemia focus of the Selenga river delta. Proc Irkutsk State Sci Anti-Plague Inst Siberia Far East 26:322–332 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Peterson AT, Soberon J, Sanchez-Cordero V (1999) Conservatism of ecological niches in evolutionary time. Science 285:1265–1267

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Popova AS (1968) Flea fauna of the Moyynkum desert. In: Fenyuk BK (ed) Rodents and their ectoparasites. Saratov University Press, Saratov, USSR, pp 402–406 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Poulin R (1996) How many parasite species are there: are we close to answers? Int J Parasitol 26:1127–1129

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Poulin R (2002) The evolution of monogenean diversity. Int J Parasitol 32:245–254

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Poulin R, Mouillot D (2003) Parasite specialization from a phylogenetic perspective: a new index of host specificity. Parasitology 126:473–480

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Reshetnikova PI (1959) Flea fauna of the Kustanai region. Proc Middle Asian Sci Anti-Plague Inst 6:261–265 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Rothschild NC (1915a) A synopsis of the British Siphonaptera. Entomol Mon Mag 51:49–112

    Google Scholar 

  • Rothschild NC (1915b) On Neopsylla and some allied genera of Siphonaptera. Ectoparasites 1:30–44

    Google Scholar 

  • Sapegina VF, Lukyanova IV, Fomin BN (1981) Fleas of small mammals in northern foothills of Altai Mountains and Upper Ob river region. In: Maximov AA (ed) Biological problems of natural foci. Nauka Publishing House Siberian Branch, Novosibirsk, USSR, pp 167–176 (in Russian)

  • Shwartz EA, Berendiaeva EL, Grebenyuk RV (1958) Fleas of rodents of the Frunze region. Proc Middle Asian Sci Anti-Plague Inst 4:255–261 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Sineltschikov VA (1956) Study of flea fauna of the Pavlodar region. Proc Middle Asian Sci Anti-Plague Inst 2:147–153 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Smit FGAM (1987) An illustrated catalogue of the Rothschild collection of fleas (Siphonaptera) in the British Museum (Natural History), vol V. Malacopsylloidea (Malacopsyllidae and Rhopalopsyllidae). Oxford University Press, British Museum (Nat Hist), Oxford, London

  • Smith FA, Brown JH, Haskell JP, Lyons SK, Alroy J, Charnov EL, Dayan T, Enquist BJ, Ernest SKM, Hadly EA, Jones KE, Kaufman DM, Marquet PA, Maurer BA, Niklas KJ, Porter WP, Tiffney B, Willig MR (2004) Similarity of mammalian body size across the taxonomic hierarchy and across space and time. Am Nat 163:672–691

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stanko M, Miklisova D, Gouy de Bellocq J, Morand S (2002) Mammal density and patterns of ectoparasite species richness and abundance. Oecologia 131:289–295

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Syrvacheva NG (1964) Data on the flea fauna of Kabardino–Balkarian ASSR. Proc Armen Anti-Plague Station 3:389–405 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Traub R, Rothschild M, Haddow JF (1983) The Ceratophyllidae: key to the genera and host relationships. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Vasiliev GI (1966) On ectoparasites and their hosts in relation to the plague epizootic in Bajan–Khongor aimak (Mongolian People Republic). Proc Irkutsk State Sci Anti-Plague Inst Siberia Far East 26:277–281 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Vershinina TA, Lyamkin VF, Kryukov IL (1967) Fleas of small mammals in the Barguzin depression and their landscape distribution. Proc Irkutsk State Sci Anti-Plague Inst Siberia Far East 27:265–278 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Violovich NA (1969) Landscape and geographic distribution of fleas. In: Maximov AA (ed) Biological regionalization of the Novosibirsk region. Nauka Publishing House Siberian Branch, Novosibirsk, USSR, pp 211–221 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wagner J (1929) About new species of Palaearctic fleas (Aphaniptera) II. Ann Rep Zool Mus USSR Acad Sci 30:531–547 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Webb TJ, Gaston KJ (2003) On the heritability of geographic range sizes. Am Nat 161:553–566

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson EO (2003) The encyclopedia of life. Trends Ecol Evol 18:77–80

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson DE, Reeder DM (eds) (1993) Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Smithsonian Inst Press, Washington

    Google Scholar 

  • Yudin BS, Krivosheev VG, Belyaev VG (1976) Small mammals of the northern Far East. Nauka Publishing House Siberian Branch, Novosibirsk, USSR (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zagniborodova EN (1960) Fauna and ecology of fleas on the western Turmenistan. In: Fenyuk BK (ed) Problems of natural foci and epizootology of plague in Turkmenistan. Turkmenian Anti-Plague Station, All-Union Sci Anti-Plague Inst “Microb”, Saratov, USSR, pp 320–334 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This study was partly supported by the Israel Science Foundation (Grant No. 249/04 to B. Krasnov, I. Khokhlova and G. Shenbrot). This is Publication No. 184 of the Ramon Science Center and No. 488 of the Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ramon Science Center and Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 194, Mizpe Ramon, 80600, Israel

    Boris R. Krasnov & Georgy I. Shenbrot

  2. UMR CNRS-UMII 5119 Ecosystemes Lagunaires, University of Montpellier II, Montpellier, France

    David Mouillot

  3. Desert Animal Adaptations and Husbandry, Wyler Department of Dryland Agriculture, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, Israel

    Irina S. Khokhlova

  4. Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

    Robert Poulin

Authors
  1. Boris R. Krasnov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Georgy I. Shenbrot
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. David Mouillot
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Irina S. Khokhlova
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Robert Poulin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Boris R. Krasnov.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Krasnov, B.R., Shenbrot, G.I., Mouillot, D. et al. What are the factors determining the probability of discovering a flea species (Siphonaptera)?. Parasitol Res 97, 228–237 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-005-1425-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-005-1425-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation