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)

J Parasitol. 2010 Oct;96(5):874-8. doi: 10.1645/GE-2512.1. Epub 2010 Jun 8.

Abstract

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.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anoplura / anatomy & histology
  • Anoplura / classification*
  • Cheirogaleidae / parasitology*
  • Ear Auricle / parasitology
  • Female
  • Ixodidae / classification*
  • Lice Infestations / parasitology
  • Lice Infestations / veterinary*
  • Madagascar
  • Male
  • Nymph / anatomy & histology
  • Nymph / classification
  • Primate Diseases / parasitology*
  • Tick Infestations / parasitology
  • Tick Infestations / veterinary*