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Abstract

As a parallel study of a survey of fleas of trapped small mammals in montane southern Utah, we removed 77 adult fleas from 12 of 13 nests of voles (Microtus longicaudus, M. montanus and M. richardsoni) collected from montane meadows in the Abajo and La Sal Mountains, the Markagunt Plateau and Pine Valley Mountains, and the Uinta Mountains, May 1991–July 2002. Six species and subspecies of fleas parasitic on Microtus spp. were found, 1–3 species in each nest. Three specimens of the ubiquitous deer mouse (Peromyscus spp.) flea Aetheca wagneri (Baker) were also found. We collected the following 7 taxa from the locations indicated: Catallagia decipiens Rothschild in 5 nests: Abajo and Pine Valley Mountains and Markagunt Plateau; Hystrichopsylla dippiei truncata Holland in 2 nests: La Sal and Uinta Mountains; H. occidentalis sylvaticus Campos & Stark in 5 nests: Pine Valley Mountains; Peromyscopsylla selenis (Rothschild) in 1 nest: Markagunt Plateau; A. wagneri in 2 nests: Abajo and Pine Valley Mountains; Megabothris abantis (Rothschild) in 5 nests: Abajo and Uinta Mountains and Markagunt Plateau; Malaraeus telchinus (Rothschild) in 2 nests: Abajo and Pine Valley Mountains. One preserved larva was identified as Hystrichopsylla prob. occidentalis sylvaticus, and 2 dead larvae, the only specimens found in nest 13, were identified as probably the same. Kane County is a new record for C. decipiens and P. selenis; Kane and Summit Counties are new for M. abantis. Nest surveys can generally supplement rather than replace trapped-host surveys. Their main value is in population studies. They are also a source of larvae for morphology and taxonomy research.

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