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.
Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, 69 Georgia Avenue, Statesboro, Georgia 30460-8042, USA. ldurden@georgiasouthern.edu
Lance A
LA
Durden
Sarah
S
Zohdy
Juha
J
Laakkonen
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*