Western North American Naturalist Volume 71 Number 2 Article 11 8-12-2011 Distribution records and comments on fleas in southwestern South Dakota Omer R. Larson University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota, [email protected] Steven G. Platt Oglala Lakota College, Kyle, South Dakota, [email protected] Zannita Fast Horse Oglala Lakota College, Kyle, South Dakota, [email protected] Thomas R. Rainwater Texas Tech University, Jefferson, Texas, [email protected] Stanlee M. Miller Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/wnan Part of the Anatomy Commons, Botany Commons, Physiology Commons, and the Zoology Commons Recommended Citation Larson, Omer R.; Platt, Steven G.; Fast Horse, Zannita; Rainwater, Thomas R.; and Miller, Stanlee M. (2011) "Distribution records and comments on fleas in southwestern South Dakota," Western North American Naturalist: Vol. 71 : No. 2 , Article 11. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/wnan/vol71/iss2/11 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Western North American Naturalist Publications at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Western North American Naturalist by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Western North American Naturalist 71(2), © 2011, pp. 240–246 DISTRIBUTION RECORDS AND COMMENTS ON FLEAS IN SOUTHWESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA Omer R. Larson1, Steven G. Platt2,5, Zannita Fast Horse2, Thomas R. Rainwater3, and Stanlee M. Miller4 ABSTRACT.—From October 2003 through April 2006, we collected 565 fleas incidental to a distribution survey of mammals in southwestern South Dakota. Sixty-one specimens, representing 18 species of mammals, possessed 20 species of fleas. The geographic distributions of these flea species revealed 8 new records for the Black Hills and its adjacent grasslands. Four species—Megarthroglossus divisus, Stenoponia americana, Odontopsyllus dentatus, and Amaradix euphorbi—constitute new records for South Dakota, thus increasing the state’s known flea fauna to 42 species. Hunters, trappers, and field biolo- gists should be aware that serosurveillance during the 1990s revealed the presence of sylvatic plague and tularemia in the Black Hills area. RESUMEN.—Desde octubre de 2003 hasta abril de 2006, colectamos 565 pulgas de manera incidental durante un estudio de la distribución de mamíferos en el suroeste del estado de Dakota del Sur. Los 61 especímenes, que representaban 18 especies de mamíferos, albergaban 20 especies de pulgas. Sus distribuciones geográficas revelaron 8 nuevos registros para las Colinas Negras (Black Hills) y las praderas adyacentes. Cuatro de estas especies (Megarthroglossus divisus, Stenoponia americana, Odontopsyllus dentatus y Amaradix euphorbi) constituyen nuevos registros para Dakota del Sur. Esto aumenta el número de especies de pulgas conocidas del estado a 42 especies. Los cazadores, tramperos y biólogos de campo deben estar conscientes de que la vigilancia serológica durante la década de los 1990 reveló la presencia de la plaga silvática y la tularemia en el área de las Colinas Negras. In his book Fleas of Western North America, (1947) noted that he had seen or studied speci- Hubbard (1947) noted that he knew of only 4 mens of Ctenocephalides canis, Ctenocephalides publications concerning South Dakota fleas. The felis, and Pulex irritans from unspecified locali- earliest of these was Baker’s (1895) description ties in South Dakota. With the addition of these of Rhadinopsylla (Typhlopsylla) fraterna from the 3 species, the known flea fauna of the state was eastern mole, Scalopus aquaticus, in Brookings 8 species. County. A large study of fleas from North Ameri- Large multiple-year mammalian collections in can rabbits and hares by Kohls (1940) listed Hop- Harding County (Andersen and Jones 1971) and lopsyllus affinis (now Euhoplopsyllus glacialis the Black Hills (Turner 1974) also provided for affinis) and Cediopsylla simplex, also from Brook- opportunistic collecting of fleas. Smaller surveys ings County. The study was based on specimens in the state have focused on pocket gophers from the 1920s and 1930s in the insect collection (Rissky 1962), deer mice (Ulrich and Vaughn at South Dakota State University. The state’s 1963), black-footed ferrets (Boddicker 1968), first extensive field collection of fleas occurred in eastern fox squirrels (Coffman and Balsbaugh the early 1940s in conjunction with plague sur- 1971, Wilson 1978, Kietzmann 1987a), rabbits veillance by the U.S. Public Health Service. This (Kietzmann and Hugghins 1984), porcupines survey was an eastward extension into both (McDaniel and Easton 1986), and prairie dogs Dakotas after human plague was reported in (Kietzmann 1987b). The relevance of these col- several Rocky Mountain states. In Brown, Potter, lections to the present study are considered in and Spink counties, ground squirrels (Sper- the species accounts. mophilus franklinii, Spermophilus richardsonii, Collections from the Black Hills and through- and Spermophilus tridecemlineatus) were in- out South Dakota by Easton (1981, 1982) pro- fested with Oropsylla (Opisocrostis) bruneri and vided 6 new state records and a checklist of 35 Oropsylla (Thrassis) bacchi (Prince 1943). Fe- species for the state’s flea fauna. A correction males of the latter species were described by by Lewis and Galloway (2001) reduced that Prince (1944). In addition to the above, Hubbard number to 34 species. Missing from Easton’s 1Department of Biology, Box 9019, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58202. E-mail: [email protected] 2Department of Math and Science, Oglala Lakota College, Box 490, Kyle, SD 57752. 3Institute of Environmental and Human Health, Department of Environmental Toxicology, Texas Tech University, Box 764, Jefferson, TX 75657. 4Department of Biological Sciences, 132 Long Hall, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634. 5Present address: Department of Biology, Box C-64, Sul Ross State University, Alpine, TX 79832. 240 2011] FLEAS IN SOUTH DAKOTA 241 checklist were Rhadinopsylla fraterna and Tip- species collected, 311 specimens (55%) were ton et al.’s (1979) report of Callistopsyllus teri- recovered from 27 leporids, with Cediopsylla nus. Since then, Chaetopsylla setosa and Merin- inaequalis inaequalis and Euhoplopsyllus gla- gis parkeri have also been reported in the state cialis affinis being the most abundant. All species (McDaniel and Easton 1986, Eads et al. 1987), are presented alphabetically within each of 4 flea bringing the known flea fauna of South Dakota families, and the accounts also consider the to 38 species. The present study was con- known range of each species within and outside ducted to supplement previous reports on the of South Dakota. A listing of hosts and their fleas host and geographic distribution of mammal is presented as an appendix. fleas in the South Da kota portion of the Black Hills and the adjacent grasslands. Pulicidae CEDIOPSYLLA INAEQUALIS INAEQUALIS (BA- METHODS KER).—A total of 161 fleas (53 males, 108 fe - males) were recovered from the 4 species of This study was incidental to a study on mam- lep orids collected during this study. These lep- mals of Fall River, Custer, Pennington, and Shan- orids included Sylvilagus audubonii, Sylvilagus non counties (Platt et al. 2009). The first 3 of floridanus, and Lepus townsendii from Fall these counties include portions of the Black River County, and Sylvilagus nuttallii from Cus - Hills, an isolated mountainous formation in ter County. This flea species is prevalent on rab - southwestern South Dakota. Shannon County, bits and hares, and their predators, in all 11 however, is rolling prairie and part of the Pine western states (Kohls 1940). It has been collected Ridge Indian Reservation. Results of the mam- in northwestern South Dakota (Andersen and mal study, along with methods of collection and Jones 1971) but not previously from the Black descriptions of biotic and abiotic characteristics Hills or adjacent grasslands. A related spe cies, of the area, are presented elsewhere (Platt et al. Ce diopsylla simplex, commonly occurs on lepor - 2009). ids from the eastern Dakotas to the Atlantic Fleas were collected intermittently from Oc- states. tober 2003 through April 2006. The methodology EUHOPLOPSYLLUS GLACIALIS AFFINIS (BA- for obtaining small mammals involved setting KER).—We collected 117 specimens (46 males, snap-traps in the late afternoon or early evening. 71 females) from Sylvilagus audubonnii and These traps were checked the following morn- in Fall River County, a ing, and any captures were placed individually in Sylvilagus floridanus plastic bags for transport to the laboratory. Ro- new record for the Black Hills and adjacent dents were brushed over a white enamel pan, grasslands. Although this flea is common on but larger mammals, such as leporids, had their rabbits and hares throughout the Great Plains pelage carefully inspected for ectoparasites. and Rocky Mountains, previous reports for the These were removed and preserved in ethanol state are only from Brookings and McCook for storage and shipment, and all fleas were pro- counties (Kohls 1940, Kietzmann and Huggh- cessed as permanent whole mounts. Specimens ins 1984). were bleached in 10% KOH, dehydrated in PULEX SP.—Four females were collected, with ethanol, cleared in xylol, and mounted in Lepus townsendii and Sylvilagus sp. from