Dr. Kassai Tibor - Dr. Murai Éva szerk.: Parasitologia Hungarica 10. (Budapest, 1977)

Parasit. Hung 10. 1977. Studies on the Fleas of the Retezat Mountains (Roumania) Dr. Mária SUCIU — István SZABÓ Department of Animal Biology, Biological Faculty, Bucuresti, Roumania — Zoological Department of the Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest, Hungary "Studies on the fleas of the Retezat Mountains (Roumania)" - Süciu, M. - Szabó, I. - Parasit. Hung. Hh 117-124. 1977. ABSTRACT. The report presents a faunistical analysis of fleas collected from 8 species of small mammal hosts by M. SUCIU, O.S. WAGNER and F. MÉSZÁROS in the Retezat Mountains. The 75 flea specimens recovered proved to belong to 17 species or subspecies of Syphonaptera. The material is discussed from ecological and zoogeographical point of view. The syphonapterologically unexplored Retezat Mountains is an area of considerable interest as it is one of the biggest protected reservations of Roumania (20, 000 ha), which preserves a fauna rich in species as well asits natural balance. Part of the flea material to be analyzed in this paper, was collected by one of the authors (SUCIU) in 1963 and 1967 from localities at different altitudes: Gura Zlata, 770 m; Gura Apei, 998 m; the Pietrele Peak, 1480 m; the Gemeni Peak, 1770 m. Gura Zlata and Gura Apei are located on the valley of the Rîul Mare; at these places thick forests of deciduous mixed with coniferous trees are alternating with meadows where graminaceae prevail. The Pietrele Peak is covered by conifers, which are replaced on the summit by an alpine meadow with Juniperus communis and Pinus montanus (junipers). The Gemeni Peak is surrounded by a thick forest of conifers. A relatively larga area is left free " from the forest of Juniperus and Pinus, especially around the glacial lake of Gemeni. We are in the possession also of a flea material made available by dr. F. MÉSZÁROS and dr. 0. 5. WAGNER from Gura Zlata and Gemenele (Table 1). The differences in altitude atid vegetation among the collecting localities permitted us to analyse the vertical distribution of flea species parasitizing on small mammals (Insectivora; Rodentia, Murinae and Microtinae; Carnivora, Mustelidae). From a total of 75 specimens of fleas (36 c?, 39 CJ>), 17 species and subspecies were identified, belonging to the families Pulicidae, Hystrichopsyllidae

, Leptopsyllidae and C e r at ophy Ili dae

. 1. Pulex irritans Linnaeus, 1758 Material: 1 S, Gemeni Peak, 25 October, 1967, from Homo sapiens. Extremely scarce in dwellings, the human flea is also infesting other mammals. General distribution: cosmopolitan. 2. Hystrichopsylla talpae orientális Smit,1957 Material: 1 c?, Gura Zlata, 16 July 1971, from Apodemus sylvaticus, leg. MÉSZÁROS. In Roumania this flea species is parasitizing on insectivores (Talpa europaea, Sorex araneus) and rodentis (Muridae: Apodemus flavicollis, A. sylvaticus, A. agrárius, Mus musculus spicilegus and Microtidae: Mesocricetus newtoni (? ), Clethrionomys glareolus, Arvicola ter-