Budapest 1984 - Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum

ANNALES HISTORICO-NATURALES MUSEI NATIONALIS HUNGARICI
Tomus 76. Budapest, 1984 p. 239-244.
Flea species new for the Hungarian fauna (Siphonaptera), VII.*
by A. DUDICH, Stare Hory & I. SZABÓ, Budapest
Abstract — Five flea species are reported new to the fauna of Hungary: Atyphloceras nuperus
(JORDAN), Rhadinopsylla mesoides SMIT, Amalaraeuspenicilliger kratochvili ROSICKY, Doratopsylla
dasyenema cuspis (ROTHSCHILD) and Nosopsyllus mokrzeckyi(WAGNER). Locality data, taxonomical
remarks and zoogeographical evaluations are given for every species in question. With 16 figures.
The following flea species new for the Hungarian fauna were obtained from the bodies
of small mammals (insectivores and rodents) in the last two years:
Atyphloceras nuperus (JORDAN) 1931 — L o c a 1 i t i es. 1 çf : Királyháza, Rózsáspatak vgy.,
500 m (Börzsöny Mts., Com. Nógrád) 10 October 1983, leg. STOLLMANN, host : C. glareolus (SCHREB.).
2 9 0 : Mátraalmás, 700 m (Mátra Mts., Com. Nógrád), 12-13 October 1983, leg. MÉSZÁROS and
STOLLMANN, host: C. glareolus (SCHREB.). 2 9 9 : Nagyvisnyó, Bán patak vgy., 600 m (Bükk Mts.,
Com. Heves) 16 October 1983, leg. STOLLMANN, host : C. glareolus (SCHREB.).
This mountain species was first announced from the Western Carpathians by JURIK (1960).
Since then we have found specimens from more than forty mountain localities that are above 700 m.
It was ascertained that the area of distribution of A. nuperus in Central Europe basically corresponds
with the natural distribution of fir-tree {Abies alba L.) (DUDICH 1983). Our material was collected
in pure beech forests, but maybe, fir was certainly distributed in the mid-Holocene and probably
also in historical times. A. nuperus as a stenochronous species is a member of the winter fleasynusia
of the bank vole in the highest mountain sites in Hungary. For this reason hitherto it has not been
detected. Our few specimens were sampled along with the following flea species: Ctenophthalmus
agyrtes peusianus ROSICKY, Ctenophthalmus c. congener (ROTHSCHILD), Hystrichopsylla t. talpae
(CURTIS), Peromyscopsylla b. bidentata (KOLENATI), Peromyscopsylla fallax (ROTHSCHILD), Rhadinopsylla
integella (ROTHSCHILD). In the Mátra Mts. it has been found with Ctenophthalmus obtusus JORDAN
et ROTHCHILD, Rhadinopsylla mesoides SMIT, and Amalaraeus penicilliger kratochvili RosiCKY.
Indexes of infestation (calculated for the bank vole only) on the whole were low: extensity 1.8-
2.4%, mean intensity 0.018-0.047. Low degree of dominance was calculated, too (D = 1.1-2.5).
There were 183 specimens of C. glareolus and 71 specimens of other members of the family Arvicolidae
(Pitymys subterraneus DESÉLYS-LONGCH. and Microtus arva/is PALLAS) examined totally.
The occurrence of A. nuperus in Hungary can be expected in the Kőszeg Mts. (foothill of the
Alps, in the western part of our country) and probably in the Zemplén Mts. as a continuation of the
distribution of this species from Slovakia. Since A. nuperus was not mentioned in the volume of
Siphonaptera — Fauna Hungáriáé (Szabó 1975) the morphological patterns necessary in the identification
of this species are given (Figs. 1-4).
Rhadinopsylla mesoides SMIT, 1957 — Locality. 1 çf '• Mátraalmás, Szuha patak vgy., 700 m
(Mátra Mts., Com. Nógrád), 13 October 1983, leg. KOVÁCIK, host : C. glareolus (SCHREB.).
This rare mountain species is distributed in the great European mountain ranges (Pyrenees, Alps,
Carpathians and Balkan mountains). ROSICKY (1950) first recorded Rhadinopsylla mesa J. et R. from
the High Tatra Mts. in the Western Carpathians. Since it is known only from a few localities in the
Vihorlat Mts. (DUDICH 1984a); Kremnické vrchy Mts. (JURIK 1960); Polana Mts. (DUDICH 1984b);
Western Tatra Mts. (DUDICH, 1982) and Javorniky Mts (RYBA et al. 1975) all the localities are in
Czechoslovakia. Only single specimens of Rhadinopsylla mesoides had been collected rarely from the
fur of the main host species, abundant collections were made from the winter-nests of the bank vole
(Ryba et al. 1975). R. mesoides is a member of the winter-synusia of nests of C. glareolus (SCHREB.).
Our only specimen was collected with other late autumn and winter flea species : A. nuperus (Jordan);
* Report No. 10 from the project "Complex parasitological studies on small mammal populations", a co-operation
between the Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest and the Institute of Experimental Biology and Ecology, Slovak
Academy of Sciences, Bratislava.

A. penicilliger kratochvili ROSICKY; Peromyscopsylla fallax (ROTHSCHILD); R. integella (ROTHSCHILD);
P. bidenatata (KOLENATI) and others. Because the main Slovakian localities are at an altitude between
550 and 1000 m, it may be supposed that the species might occur in the mountains of Hungary.
Since Rhadinopsylla mesoides was not included in the Hungarian fauna work, the morphological
patterns of both sexes are given in Figs. 5-8.
Amalaraeus penicilliger kratochvili ROSISKY, 1955 — Locality. 14 rfrfanà 16 $ $ : Mátraalmás
Rudolftanya and Szuha patak vgy., 700-750 m (Mátra Mts., Com. Nógrád) 12-14 October 1983, leg.
KOVÁCIK, MÉSZÁROS and STOLLMANN, hosts: C. glareolus (SCHREB.), M. arvalis (PALL.) and P.
subterraneus DESÉLYS-LONGCH.
This subspecies of A. penicilliger (GRUBE) is of mountain distribution in Central Europe and the
Balkan peninsula. In the Slovakian part of the Western Carpathians on the whole it has a contimuous
distribution. It does not occur in lowlands and hollows, therefore we suppose an isolated
island-like population of A. penicilliger kratochvili in the Mátra Mts. In the neighbouring mountains
on both sides of the Mátra it was not recorded in the same vegetation and at the same time. For the
mid-October sample of A. penicilliger kratochvili the following indexes of infestation were calculated
(for the C. glareolus only): extensity 14.4%; mean intensity 0.27 and dominance 15.0.
The occurrence of A. penicilliger kratochvili in Hungary may be expected in the Zemplén Mts.
as a continuation of the distribution from the Slovakian part and in the western part of our country
—in the foothills of Alps—now. In the Mátra Mts. both congeneric species of the genus Amalaraeus
occur together {A. arvicolae IOFF was recorded by HAITLINGER 1973), therefore figures to show the
variability of the 7th sternum and the patterns of internal genitalia of females of both species are
given (Figs. 9-11 ). The separation of the females is based on that ambiguous patterns published in the
key (SZABÓ 1975) is quite impossible since the shape of patterns overlap.
Doratopsylla dasyenema cuspis ROTHSCHILD, 1915 — Locality. 6 ç?ç? and 8 9 9- Kishuta,
Rostalló, 450-500 m (Zemplén Mts; Com. Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén), 11-14 November 1982, leg.
Figs. 1-4. Atyphloceras nuperus (JORDAN): 1 = head and pronotum of male (after Smit), 2 = clasper,
3 = phallosome and 9th sternum, 4 = outline of sternum 7 of female. — F-ig. 5. Rhadinopsylla
mesoides SMIT : a = head of male and b = head of female

DUDICH, MÉSZÁROS and STOLLMANN, hosts: S. araneus L.; N.fodiens (PENN.), M. arvalis (PALL.) and
A. flavicollis (MELCH.).
The occurrence of the eastern, mainly mountain, subspecies of D. dasyenema (ROTHSCHILD) was
expected only from the mountainous parts of eastern Hungary (SZABÓ 1975, 1980). This subspecies
occurs in Slánske vrchy Mts. in Slovakia (on its Hungarian side the abovementioned material was
collected), in the Eastern Beskid mountain range and in the Vihorlat Mts. (DUDICH 1984a) but no
specimen was found in the Thais lowland in Slovakia nor in Hungary. D. dasyenema cuspis may
occur in Hungary now in the entire eastern part of the country as a possible continuation of its distribution
from the mountains of Roumania (Bihor Mts.). Namely, westwards from the locality mentioned
above, in the Slovakian part of the Aggtelek karst (Slovensky kras) and in the Bükk Mts. we
know the nominate form only. So the valley of the river Hernád seems to be a natural barrier in the
distribution of the two subspecies today.
The following indexes of infestation were observed (calculated for the two shrew species only):
extensity 17.1 %; mean intensity 0.35 and dominance 23.5.
Our specimens were collected together with the following taxa from the eastern province:
Ctenophthalmus agyrtes kleinschmidtianus PEUS; Palaeopsylla sor ici s s tar ki WAGNER and Hystrichopsylla
o. orientális SMIT.
The morphological patterns of the males from the Zemplén Mts. are "clear cuspis" found in the
Slovak Eastern Carpathians (Fig. 12), but the outline of the 7th sternum in the females is highly
variable owing to the introgression influence between the two subspecies along the border of their
distribution area (Fig. 13).
Figs. 6 -7. Rhadinopsylla mesoides SMIT: 6 = clasper and sternum 9 and 7 = phallosome of male
—• Fig. 8. Rhadinopsylla mesoides SMIT: outline of sternum 7 and spermatheca of female •— Fig. 9.
Amalaraeus penicilliger kratochvili ROSICKY: outlines of sternum 7 of females (Mátra population).
— Fig. 10. Amalaraeus arvicolae (IOFF) : outline of sternum 7 of female (Bükk population)
16 Természettudományi Múzeum Évkönyve 1984

Nosopsyllus mokrzeckyi (WAGNER, 1916) — Locality. 1 $ : Hortobágy (Great Pannonian
lowland, Com. Hajdú-Bihar), August 1943, collector unknown (OKI, deposited in HNHM. Budapest,
No. 120), host : M. arvalis (PALL.).
A single specimen of N. mokrzeckyi (WAGN.) was found among a longer series of N. fasciatus
(Boso) collected on the common vole in the most remarkable steppe region in the Pannonian lowland.
The occurrence of this species was not confirmed recently in the same region (SZABÓ 1981). The recent
distribution of N. mokrzeckyi in Central Europe and the Balkan peninsula is little known. It occurs in
Yugoslavia. Roumania and the European part of the USSR in the primary steppe region (Sucru 1973;
YURKINA 1961). The first finding in the Carpathian Basin was reported by JURIK (1962) in the Slovakian
part of the Danube lowland on the house mouse (Mus musculus L.) in a village habitat. According
to this author the possibility of an anthropogenous transport of the parasite with synanthropic
rodents, via the Danube, in historic time should be considered. In the flea collection of the Entomological
Division of the Slovak National Museum in Bratislava we recently found a further specimen
Fig. 11. Duct of bursa copulatrix: in a = Amalaraeus penicilliger kratochviliROSICKY and b = Amalaraeus
arvicolae (IOFF) (after Smit). — Figs. 12-13. Doratopsylla dasyenema cuspis (ROTHSCHILD):
12 = terminalia of male, 13 = outlines of sternum 7 and spermatheca in female. — Figs. 14-16.
Nosopsyllus mokrzeckyi W'AGNER): 14 = clasper and sternum 9 of male (Tek ovské Luzany, Slovakia),
15 = tergum 8 of the male, 16 = outline of sternum 7 and spermatheca of female (Hortobágy)

of N. mokrzeckyi from another locality close to Jurik's (DUDICH & MATOUSEK 1984). Finally, one
misdetermined specimen was also found in the OKI, now deposited in the HNHM, Budapest originating
from Slovakia, prepared on a slide with two specimens of Leptopsylla segnis (SCHÖNHERR). 1 çf,
locality: Tekovské Luzany (formerly Nagysalló, as labelled on the slide); Danubian lowland, September
1923, leg. Dudich, host: Mus musculus (hortulanus) L. (OKI deposit No. 94). This specimen
had been identified as N.fasciatus (Bosc). and this name was introduced in SULYOMI'S (1944) thesis.
With the exception of Hortobágy, all Pannonian specimens were collected from the fur of the
house mouse. This fact by our opinion does not exclude the possibility of autochthonous occurrence of
N. mokrzeckyi in Hungary and in adjacent countries within the Carpathian Basin. This species
undoubtedly belongs to the steppe faunal complex along with other fleas of steppe mammals [Citellophilus
and Neopsylla from the ground squirrel ; Ctenophthalmus caucasicus (TASCHENBEFCG) from the
mole rat and so on]. Nosopsyllus mokreckyi (WAGNER) was not included in the Hungarian fauna in
the volume of Siphonaptera. therefore, we give the distinguishing patterns of terminalia for both
sexes (Figs. 14-16).
DISCUSSION
As the result of our study the Hungarian flea fauna increases by live new taxa, so the
total number of the known species and subspecies is now 68. With the exception of Palaeopsylla
steini JORDAN we have completed the Hungarian flea fauna by the heretofore unrecorded
species of the mountain fauna complex according to ROSICKY (1967). From among
the species of the boreo-montane province, i.e. taiga faunal complex includes Ctenophthalmus
u. uncinatus (WAGNER), Rhadinopsylla integella (ROTSCHILD) and we suppose with a high
degree of probability of the occurrence of Peromyscopsylla silvatica (MEINERT) in the northern
part of our country as a continuation of its range of distribution from Slovakia. It was
collected not far from the border, in the Slovak Karst region. So the Hungarian Northern-
Mountains, east of the Danube, have the same fleafauna compositions deriving from small
terrestrial mammals as have the Polish or Slovak Western Carpathians-—with the exception
of the boreo-alpine species as are Amphipsylla sibirica and Megabothris rectangulatus. These
species have very limited distribution in the Carpathians and occur in the highest mountains
having primarily at least a subalpine zone.
References
DUDICH, A. (1982): Annotated survey of small terrestrial mammal ectoparasites on Orava (North
Slovakia, Western Carpathians) Part. 1 Fleas, Siphonaptera. — Oravské múzeum. 2: (1983)
38-53.
DUDICH, A. (1983): Paläomontane Zusammenhänge der nacheiszeitlichen Verbreitung einiger
floristischer und faunistischer Elemente in Mitteleuropa. — Abstract of lectures of X. STEEC.
Budapest, p. 14.
DUDICH, A. (1984a): Fleas (Insecta. Siphonaptera) of small mammals in Vihorlat Mts. (Eastern
Carpathians). — Zbornik Vychodoslov. múzea v Kosiciach, Prirodné vedy, 23: (1983) 153-181.
DUDICH, A. (1984b): Contribution to the knowledge of fleas (Insecta, Siphonaptera) of the Kremnické
vrchy Mts. 1. Fleas of the small terrestrial mammals. — Kmetianum, 4: in print.
DUDICH, A. (1984c): Fleas (Siphonaptera) of insectivores and rodents (Mammalia: Insectivora.
Rodentia) of Protected Landscape Region Pol'ana. — Ochranaprirody, 5: in print.
DUDICH, A. & MATOUSEK, B. (1984): Fleas (Insecta: Siphonaptera) from the collection of Slovak
National Museum in Bratislava. — Acta rer. nat. mus. nat. Slov. (Bratislava), 60: in print.
HAITLINGER, R. (1973) : To the knowledge of Siphonaptera and Anoplura fauna of the small mammals
in Hungary. — Parasitai, hung., 6: 205-213.
JURIK, M. (1960): Aphaniptera of the Badinsky prales primeaval forest (Kremnické hory Mts.)
— Biológia (Bratislava), 15: 847-849.
JURIK, M. (1962): Contribution to the knowledge of Aphaniptera in Czechoslovakia. II. (Nosopsyllus
Jordan, 1933). — Biológia (Bratislava), 17: 383-388.
ROSICKY, B. (1950): A provisonal catalogue of the fleas (Aphaniptera) from the territory of Slovakia.
— Prirodovedny zbornik SA V(Bratislava), 5: 155-171.

ROSCIKY, B. (1967): Entomogeographical division of Central Europe and Balkan Peninsula based on
order Aphaniptera. — Proc. II. Entomofaun. Symp. Opava, p. 227-241.
RYBA, J. &. ROSICKY, B. (1975): Rhadinopsylla (Actenophthalmus) mesoides Smit, 1957 (Siphonaptera
Hystrichopsyllidae) in Czechoslovak Western Carpathians. — Folia parasitol. (Praha).
22: 379-383.
RYBA, J., ROSICKY, B., DANIEL, M. & MRCIAK, M. (1975): Siphonaptera of small terrestrial mammals
and their nests in the Western Carpathians. — Folia parasitol. (Praha), 22: 45-56.
Suciu, M. (1973) : Catalogue of the Siphonaptera from Rumania. — Mus. Stiin. Nat. Bacau, 6: 47-42.
SULYOMI, K. (1944): A magyarországi bolhák. (The fleas of Hungary). — Thesis. Budapest, p. 1-117.
SZABÓ, I. (1975): Bolhák. Siphonaptera. — Fauna Hungáriáé, XV:18: 1-97.
SZABÓ, I. (1980): The borders of the distribution of certain subspecies of fleas in Hungara. — In:
TRAUB, R. & STARCKE, H. (Ed): Fleas. Proc. Int. Conf. of Fleas. Ashton Wold (Peterborough)
(UK) 21-25 June 1977, A. Balkema-Rotterdam, p. 379-382.
SZABÓ, I. (1981): The Pleas (Siphonaptera) of the Hortobágy National Park. -- Tlie Fauna of the
Hortobágy National Park. I. Budapest, p. 243-244.
YURKINA, V. Í. (1961): Blochi. Fauna Ukrajnii. (Fleas. Fauna of Ukraine). — Kiev, p. 1-152.
Authors's address: DR. A. DUDICH
Institute of Experimental Biology and Ecology
Slovak Academy of Sciences, Research Station
CS-97 602 Stare Hory
Czechoslovakia
I, SZABÓ
Fazekas utca 4
H-1015 Budapest
Hungary