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FLEAS (SIPHONAPTERA: CERATOPHYLLIDAE) FROM NESTS OF WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS (ZONOTRICHIA LEUCOPHRYS) IN SOUTHWESTERN ALBERTA, CANADA

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 May 2012

Glen Chilton  and
Terry D. Galloway
Glen Chilton
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
Terry D. Galloway
Affiliation:
Department of Entomology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3T 2N2
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Extract

Fleas (Siphonaptera: notably species of Ceratophyllidae) parasitize many species of birds. Although adult fleas rely on the birds as their principal means of dispersal, they are not commonly collected on the host itself. Most of these fleas spend the greatest portion of their life cycle in or near the host's nest. Colonial nesting habits facilitate transfer of fleas among hosts (Hoogland and Sherman 1976), and reuse of nests or nesting cavities in successive breeding seasons enhances transmission from one generation to the next (Hopla and Loye 1983). This stability of nest habitat and reliability of host presence favours fleas that are truly nest-bound. On the other hand, birds that defend exclusive breeding territories and construct new nests for each breeding attempt are usually host to vagabond, generalist species (Darskaya 1964).

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Type
Articles
Information
The Canadian Entomologist , Volume 127 , Issue 3 , June 1995 , pp. 443 - 444
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 1995

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