Moorhen flea
The moorhen flea (Dasypsyllus gallinulae)[1] is a flea originating from South America. It is now a globally widespread. It is a large flea, easily identified because the male has two heavy horn-like spines on one of the genital flaps, and the female has a deep "bite" on the seventh sternite.[2]
| Moorhen flea | |
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| Male moorhen flea | |
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| Species: | D. gallinulae |
| Binomial name | |
| Dasypsyllus gallinulae (Dale, 1878) | |
It is found in bird nests, and is more likely to be found on the bird's body than, say, the chicken flea, which is normally found in the nest. The moorhen flea's many hosts include the common moorhen, Eurasian woodcock, grouse, European robin, goldcrest, willow tit, and Eurasian treecreeper.[2]
References
- "Dasypsyllus gallinulae" at the Encyclopedia of Life
- Rothschild, Miriam; Clay, Theresa (1957). Fleas, Flukes and Cuckoos. A study of bird parasites. New York: Macmillan. p. 113.
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