Moorhen flea
| Moorhen flea | |
|---|---|
.jpg)
| |
| Male moorhen flea | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | |
| Family: | |
| Genus: | |
| Species: | D. gallinulae
|
| Binomial name | |
| Dasypsyllus gallinulae (Dale, 1878)
| |
The moorhen flea (Dasypsyllus gallinulae)[1] is a flea originating from South America. It is now a globally widespread. It is a large flea, easily identified because the male has two heavy horn-like spines on one of the genital flaps, and the female has a deep "bite" on the seventh sternite.[2]
It is found in bird nests, and is more likely to be found on the bird's body than, say, the chicken flea, which is normally found in the nest. The moorhen flea's many hosts include the common moorhen, Eurasian woodcock (hehe cockadoo), grouse, European robin, goldcrest, willow tit, and Eurasian treecreeper.[2]
References
- ^ "Dasypsyllus gallinulae" at the Encyclopedia of Life
- ^ a b Rothschild, Miriam; Clay, Theresa (1957). Fleas, Flukes and Cuckoos. A study of bird parasites. New York: Macmillan. p. 113.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
 | This flea-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |