Ectoparasitism in Black-and-White Ruffed Lemurs (Varecia variegata) in Southeastern Madagascar

Sarah Zohdy; Lance A. Durden; Andrea L. Baden

doi:10.7589/2017-12-311

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1 January 2019 Ectoparasitism in Black-and-White Ruffed Lemurs (Varecia variegata) in Southeastern Madagascar

Sarah Zohdy, Lance A. Durden, Andrea L. Baden

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J. of Wildlife Diseases, 55(1):174-178 (2019). https://doi.org/10.7589/2017-12-311

Abstract

We documented ectoparasites found on wild black-and-white ruffed lemurs (Varecia variegata) in the southeastern rain forests of Madagascar and describe trends in parasitism. In this study, 235 mesostigmatid mites (1 male, 87 females, 147 nymphs) identified as Liponyssella sp., in the acarine family Macronyssidae, were collected during 87% (34/39) of lemur examinations (mean number/host=7.9). The only other ectoparasite collected was the louse fly (Allobosca crassipes; 3 males, 8 females) in the dipteran family Hippoboscidae, which was collected during 26% (10/39) of lemur examinations (mean number/host=1.1). The lemur most heavily parasitized by mites was an adult female with 29 adult females and 17 nymphs, all collected from the face.

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Sarah Zohdy, Lance A. Durden, and Andrea L. Baden "Ectoparasitism in Black-and-White Ruffed Lemurs (Varecia variegata) in Southeastern Madagascar," Journal of Wildlife Diseases 55(1), 174-178, (1 January 2019). https://doi.org/10.7589/2017-12-311

Received: 20 December 2017; Accepted: 10 May 2018; Published: 1 January 2019

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