[A new flea species of the genus Allopsylla Beaucournu et Fain, 1982 (Siphonaptera: Ischnopsyllidae) from Central African Republic, found on a little known molossid bat].
A pair of Allopsylla lobayensis Beaucournu & Barrière, new species were collected the first of November 1999 in Ngotto forest, in the south-western part of the Lobaye basin, Central African Republic (CAR). The host specimen, a little known molossid bat (Myopterus whitleyi), constitutes the first record of this species in CAR. The new flea species appears taxonomically close to A. hetera Beaucournu & Fain, 1982, one of the two other Allopsylla species, previously know from other faunal regions (A. alloides in Nigeria and A. hetera in Democratic Republic of the Congo). The parasitism of three distinctly different hosts by the three known Allopsylla species raises questions regarding the host-parasite specificity of this group.
Barrière
P
P
Laboratoire Ethologie-Evolution-Ecologie, UMR 6552 CNRS, Station Biologique (SBP), Université de Rennes 1, 35380 Paimpont, France. Patrick.Barriere@univ-rennes1.fr
Beaucournu
J C
JC
Ménier
K
K
Colyn
M
M
D000818:Animals; D002488:Central African Republic; D002685:Chiroptera / Q000469:parasitology*; D004478:Ectoparasitic Infestations / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D010802:Phylogeny; D005423:Siphonaptera / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification*; D013045:Species Specificity