Host location, survival and fecundity of the Oriental rat flea Xenopsylla cheopis (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) in relation to black rat Rattus rattus (Rodentia: Muridae) host age and sex

Abstract

Host choice and fecundity are two factors that may contribute to the variation in flea counts observed when assessing the potential risk of flea-borne transmission of pathogens from rodents to humans. Using the black rat, Rattus rattus Linnaeus, as host the effects of age and sex on host choice and fecundity of the Oriental rat flea, Xenopsylla cheopis Rothschild, were examined experimentally at 25 degrees C and 80% rh. During the first two days of emergence from cocoons, female fleas dominated the sex ratio by 4:1 but from the third day onwards this switched to a male-dominated sex ratio of 4:1. The sex of the flea did not influence their host-seeking behaviour. Newly emerged fleas of both sexes were not influenced by the rat's presence and at seven days old both sexes demonstrated similar levels of attraction toward the rat host. The sex of the rat did not affect flea host-seeking behaviour. There was a 50-70% decline in the initial number of adult fleas during the first week after their release onto a rat host, and this decline was greatest on juvenile rats. Flea fecundity was also significantly lower on juvenile rat hosts but no differences due to the sex of the rat were observed. This experimental study supports the hypothesis that differences in flea count due to host sex, reported in field surveys, result from sexual differences in host behaviour and not from discriminatory host-seeking behaviour by X. cheopis. Differences in flea count due to host age may be affected by differences in X. cheopis fecundity, which may itself be mediated by host behaviour such as grooming.

Influence of biotic and abiotic factors on flea species population dynamics on Lasiopodomys brandtii

“…The abundance of neither N. pleskei orientalis nor A. primiariaris mitis was affected by host age. Overall these results are largely consistent with previous observations that flea abundance varies by host age ( Schalk and Forbes, 1997 ; Knudsen et al, 2002 ; Mears et al, 2002 ; Hawlena et al, 2007 ; Smith et al, 2021 ). The effect of host age on the abundance of fleas varied among different host-parasite flea relationships ( Yin et al, 2020 ).…”

Effect of Temperature on Host Preference in Two Lineages of the Brown Dog Tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus

“…A two-choice olfactometer was designed and constructed to conduct behavior trials, with design adapted from published olfactometer studies. 30,31 Two wooden boxes (91 × 76 × 122 cm) with rear hinge-attached access doors were connected with a 122-cm long, 6.35-cm diameter polyethylene terephthalate glycol plastic heavy wall tubing (see Figure 1). A small fan was placed in each box to facilitate air flow.…”

Sex ratio in flea infrapopulations: number of fleas, host gender and host age do not have an effect

“…Furthermore, this explanation is valid only if fleas are able to distinguish between host individuals belonging to different genders and age cohorts. According to experimental studies, this appears to be the case (Mears et al 2002 ;Hawlena et al 2007).…”