Fleas (Siphonaptera) on Small Mammals in Connecticut, USA1

Fourteen species of fleas totaling 2484 specimens were collected from 1676 mammals of 20 species in southern Connecticut during 1979 and 1980. The most common species was Orchopeas h. howardii, a squirrel flea found most frequently on Sciurus carolinensis but also on Procyon lotor, Tamias striatus, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus, and Rattus norvegicus. It was collected throughout the spring, summer, and fall, with peak abundance in the spring. The next most abundant species, Doratopsylla blarinae, was collected from Blarina brevicauda, and occasionally from Peromyscus leucopus, Clethrionomys gapperi, Scalopus aquaticus, T. striatus, and Napaeozapus insignis. This species was taken throughout the spring, summer, and fall months with no distinct seasonal peak. Peromyscopsylla h. hesperomys was found on P. leucopus, and less often on C. gapperi, T. striatus, and Microtus pinetorum. It exhibited a seasonal peak in the spring and summer and was most abundant in the coniferous forests. Orchopeas leucopus was taken from P. leucopus, and also from C. gapperi, Microtus pennsylvanicus, N. insignis, M. pinetorum, and S. aquaticus. This species also exhibited a spring-summer seasonal peak, but was abundant in all habitats studied. Nine other species of fleas were collected in smaller numbers.