| Abstract: | As a parallel study of a survey of fleas of trapped small mammals in montane southern Utah, we removed 77 adult fleas from 12 of 13 nests of voles ( Microtus longicaudus, M. montanus and M. richardsoni ) collected from montane meadows in the Abajo and La Sal Mountains, the Markagunt Plateau and Pine Valley Mountains, and the Uinta Mountains, May 1991-July 2002. Six species and subspecies of fleas parasitic on Microtus spp. were found, 1-3 species in each nest. Three specimens of the ubiquitous deer mouse ( Peromyscus spp.) flea Aetheca wagneri (Baker) were also found. We collected the following 7 taxa from the locations indicated: Catallagia decipiens Rothschild in 5 nests: Abajo and Pine Valley Mountains and Markagunt Plateau; Hystrichopsylla dippiei truncata Holland in 2 nests: La Sal and Uinta Mountains; H. occidentalis sylvaticus Campos & Stark in 5 nests: Pine Valley Mountains; Peromyscopsylla selenis (Rothschild) in 1 nest: Markagunt Plateau; A. wagneri in 2 nests: Abajo and Pine Valley Mountains; Megabothris abantis (Rothschild) in 5 nests: Abajo and Uinta Mountains and Markagunt Plateau; Malaraeus telchinus (Rothschild) in 2 nests: Abajo and Pine Valley Mountains. One preserved larva was identified as Hystrichopsylla prob. occidentalis sylvaticus , and 2 dead larvae, the only specimens found in nest 13, were identified as probably the same. Kane County is a new record for C. decipiens and P. selenis ; Kane and Summit Counties are new for M. abantis . Nest surveys can generally supplement rather than replace trapped-host surveys. Their main value is in population studies. They are also a source of larvae for morphology and taxonomy research. |
