The chiggerflea Hectopsylla pulex (Siphonaptera: Tungidae): infestation on Molossus molossus (Chiroptera: Molossidae) in the Central Andes of Colombia

Abstract

Some species of mastiff bats, Molossus Geoffroy, 1805, inhabit human shelters such as houses and barns. Among them, the Pallas’s mastiff bat, Molossus molossus Pallas, 1766, is the most common species in South America. There are a few studies on this bat in Colombia, mostly on colony size, diet, ectoparasite records, and activity patterns in the Andean and Caribbean regions. Here, we provide information on the prevalence of chiggerfleas, Hectopsylla pulex (Haller, 1880), on M. molossus, along with molecular data on the flea, and its distribution in Colombia. In addition, we describe the size and sex ratio of the infested bat colony, located in the central Andes of Colombia. The bat colony was represented by ca. 45 individuals, of which 33 were captured. The colony had more females (25 individuals) than males (8 individuals). A total of four Pallas’s mastiff bats had chiggerfleas, H. pulex, most of which were attached to the bat’s faces and ears. The composition of the colony (sex ratio) and the observed activity times match those reported for other colonies of the species in Colombia. The cytochrome oxidase subunit 1, and the 12S rRNA mitochondrial gene obtained from H. pulex represent the second and first available sequences for the species, respectively. The level of infestation of individuals in the colony was low, similar to that observed in other South American countries, such as Brazil. Finally, the new locality is the seventh confirmed and the highest elevational record of H. pulex in Colombia.

Hectopsylla pulex (Haller, 1880) (Siphonaptera: Tungidae) infestation on Eptesicus furinalis (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) in the Central Andes of Colombia

“…Our observation is congruent with the female-bias host selection found for other species of Siphonaptera (Presley, 2012;Ramírez-Chaves et al, 2020) but, since we have a limited sample size, we cannot make further generalizations. Furthermore, the prevalence and intensity in this host-parasite system has been only eval-uated for two species of Molossus (Molossidae) in Brazil and Colombia (Esbérard, 2001;Luz et al, 2009;Ramírez-Chaves et al, 2020) limiting additional comparisons with other vespertilionids. Current evidence suggests that H. pulex infestations are localized on the bat ears and tragus (Esbérard, 2001;Luz et al, 2009;Hastriter et al, 2014;Ramírez-Chaves et al, 2020).…”

“…5). Previous records of the presence of H. pulex in Colombia were obtained mainly in bats of the family Molossidae (Tamsitt, 1970;Ramírez-Chaves et al, 2020), and in one species of Noctilionidae, and two of Phyllostomidae (Table 2). Similar situation occurs in the Neotropics where H. pulex has been recorded predominantly on bats of the families Molossidae and, to a lesser extent, in Noctilionidae, Phyllostomidae, and Vespertilionidae (Méndez, 1977;Hastriter et al, 2014).…”

“…Furthermore, the prevalence and intensity in this host-parasite system has been only eval-uated for two species of Molossus (Molossidae) in Brazil and Colombia (Esbérard, 2001;Luz et al, 2009;Ramírez-Chaves et al, 2020) limiting additional comparisons with other vespertilionids. Current evidence suggests that H. pulex infestations are localized on the bat ears and tragus (Esbérard, 2001;Luz et al, 2009;Hastriter et al, 2014;Ramírez-Chaves et al, 2020). These flea attachment areas could interfere with echolocation, and thus compromise the fitness of infected individuals (Hastriter et al, 2014).…”

“…To compile information on the distribution of bat infestations by H. pulex in Colombia, and additional records of infestations in vespertilionids across South America (Fig. 1), we compared our record with those in the literature (e.g., Ramírez-Chaves et al, 2020), and searched for additional records in Google Scholar, Scopus (http:// www.scopus.com) and World of Science (http://www. webofknowledge.com), without time restriction for searches, and with the following keywords: 'Hectopsylla' , 'Rhynchopsyllus' , 'Vespertilionidae' , 'Fleas' , 'Ectoparasite' , 'South America' , and 'host-parasite' .…”

“…Conversely, males are less host-dependent parasites, frequently found in the colony guano, searching a host only for mating (Hastriter et al, 2014). Hectopsylla pulex is associated with bats of the family Molossidae (Esbérard, 2001;Luz et al, 2009;Ramírez-Chaves et al, 2020), Noctilionidae (Méndez, 1977), Phyllostomidae (Hastriter et al, 2014), and Vespertilionidae (Hastriter & Méndez, 2000).…”