Lice and ticks of the eastern rufous mouse lemur, Microcebus rufus, with descriptions of the male and third instar nymph of Lemurpediculus verruculosus (Phthiraptera: Anoplura).
Sucking lice and ticks were collected from live-trapped eastern rufous mouse lemurs, Microcebus rufus Geoffroy, in and around the periphery of Ranomafana National Park, southeastern Madagascar, from 2007 to 2009. Samples of 53 sucking lice (Insecta: Phthiraptera: Anoplura) and 28 hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) were collected from 36 lemur captures representing 26 different host individuals. All of the lice were Lemurpediculus verruculosus (Ward) (6 males, 46 females, 1 third instar nymph). Only the holotype female was known previously for this louse and the host was stated to be a "mouse lemur." Therefore, we describe the male and third instar nymph of L. verruculosus and confirm M. rufus as a host (possibly the only host) of this louse. All of the ticks were nymphs and consisted of 16 Haemaphysalis lemuris Hoogstraal, 11 Haemaphysalis sp., and 1 Ixodes sp. The last 2 ticks listed did not morphologically match any of the Madagascar Haemaphysalis or Ixodes ticks for which nymphal stages have been described.
Durden
Lance A
LA
Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, 69 Georgia Avenue, Statesboro, Georgia 30460-8042, USA. ldurden@georgiasouthern.edu
Zohdy
Sarah
S
Laakkonen
Juha
J
D000818:Animals; D000854:Anoplura / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification*; D016565:Cheirogaleidae / Q000469:parasitology*; D054644:Ear Auricle / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D026863:Ixodidae / Q000145:classification*; D010373:Lice Infestations / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008270:Madagascar; D008297:Male; D009758:Nymph / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification; D018419:Primate Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D013984:Tick Infestations / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*