Abstract
While invertebrate conservation is attracting increased funding and interest, research remains heavily skewed towards ‘flagship’ insect groups like bees and butterflies. This has resulted in a knowledge gap relating to less popular but equally imperilled groups like fleas. Methods for the risk assessment of host specific parasites were used to determine the conservation status of all host specific flea species distributed in Australia. The results indicated one species apparently extinct, two critically endangered, two endangered, and three vulnerable. Based on these results, novel methods for the conservation of threatened fleas are outlined, including the concepts of holistic conservation and the cryptic loss effect.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Australian Government Department of the Environment and Energy (2017) Species profile and threats database. http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicthreatenedlist.pl. Accessed 7 Nov 2017
Bitam I, Dittmar K, Parola P, Whiting MF, Raoult D (2010) Fleas and flea-borne diseases. Int J Infect Dis 14(8):e667–e676
Bowkett AE (2009) Recent captive-breeding proposals and the return of the ark concept to global species conservation. Conserv Biol 23(3):773–776
Buckley TR, Palma RL, Johns PM, Gleeson DM, Heath CG, Hitchmough RA, Stringer IAN (2012) The conservation status of small or less well known groups of New Zealand terrestrial invertebrates. N Z Entomol 35:137–143
Bulgarella M, Palma RL (2017) Coextinction dilemma in the Galápagos Islands: can Darwin’s finches and their native ectoparasites survive the control of the introduced fly Philornis downsi? Insect Conserv Divers 10:193–199
Cardinale BJ, Palmer MA, Collins SL (2002) Species diversity enhances ecosystem functioning through interspecific facilitation. Nature 415(6870):426
Cardoso P, Borges PAV, Triantis K, Ferrández MA, Martín JL (2011) Adapting the IUCN red listing criteria for invertebrates. Biol Conserv 144:2432–2440
Dunn RR (2005) Modern insect extinctions, the neglected majority. Conserv Biol 19(4):1030–1036
Dunnet GM, Mardon DK (1974) A monograph of Australian fleas (Siphonaptera). Aust J Zool Suppl Ser 22(30):1–273
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act and Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act (1999) Environment protection and biodiversity conservation act 1999. Canberra: http://www.comlaw.gov.au. http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicthreatenedlist.pl Accessed 7 Nov 2017
Green RH, Munday BL (1971) Parasites of Tasmanian native and feral fauna. Part 1, Arthropoda. Rec Queen Vic Mus 41:1–16
Hastriter MW, Whiting MF (2002) Macropsylla novaehollandiae (Siphonaptera: Hystrichopsyllidae), a new species of flea from Tasmania. Proc Entomol Soc Wash 104(3): 663–671
Heath ACG, Stringer I, Hitchmough R, Rolfe J (2015) Conservation status of New Zealand fleas (2014) New Zealand Threat Classification Series 12, Department of Conservation, Wellington, pp 1–5
Home R, Keller C, Nagel P, Bauer N, Hunziker M (2009) Selection criteria for flagship species by conservation organizations. Environ Conserv 36(2):139–148
Kaewmongkol G, Kaewmongkol S, Burmej H, Bennett MD, Fleming PA, Adams PJ, Wayne AF, Ryan U, Irwin PJ, Fenwick SG (2011) Diversity of Bartonella species detected in arthropod vectors from animals in Australia. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 34(5):411–417
Lewis RE (1998) Résumé of the Siphonaptera (Insecta) of the world. J Med Entomol 35:377–389
Lindenmayer DB (1994) Fur-inhabiting ectoparasites of Leadbeater’s possum, Gymnobelideus leadbeateri (Marsupialia: Petauridae). Australian Mammal Society 17:109
McKnight M (2008) Dasyurus viverrinus, IUCN 2013. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. Accessed 7 Nov 2017
Menkhorst P, Knight F (2011) Field guide to the mammals of Australia, 3rd edn. Oxford University Press, Melbourne
Metzger ME, Rust MK (2001) Laboratory techniques for rearing the fleas (Siphonaptera: Ceratophyllidae and Pulicidae) of California ground squirrels (Rodentia: Sciuridae) using a novel nest box. J Med Entomol 38(3):465–470
Mey E (2005) Psittacobrosus bechsteini: a new extinct chewing louse (Insecta, Phthiraptera, Amblycera) off the Cuban Macaw Ara tricolor (Psittaciiformes), with an annotated review of fossil and recently extinct animal lice. Anzeiger des Vereins Thueringer Ornithologen 5:201–217
Miller HC, Conrad AM, Barker SC, Daugherty CH (2007) Distribution and phylogenetic analyses of an endangered tick, Amblyomma sphenodonti. NZ J Zool 34(2):97–105
Moseby KE, Bice JK (2004) A trial re-introduction of the Greater Stick-nest Rat (Leporillus conditor) in arid South Australia. Ecol Manag Restor 5(2):118–124
New TR, Lambkin KJ, Calder AA (1996) Zoological catalogue of Australia Volume 28 (Neuroptera, Strepsiptera, Mecoptera, Siphonaptera). CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne
Paterson AM, Palma RL, Gray RD (1999) How frequently do avian lice miss the boat? Implications for coevolutionary studies. Syst Biol 48(1):214–223
Pérez JM, Sánchez I, Palma RL (2013) The dilemma of conserving parasites: the case of Felicola (Lorisicola) isidoroi (Phthiraptera: Trichodectidae) and its host, the endangered Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus). Insect Conserv Divers 6:680–686
Pizzi R (2009) Veterinarians and taxonomic chauvinism: the dilemma of parasite conservation. J Exot Pet Med 18(4):279–282
Rodrigues AS, Pilgrim JD, Lamoreux JF, Hoffmann M, Brooks TM (2006) The value of the IUCN Red List for conservation. Trends Ecol Evol 21(2):71–76
Rózsa L, Vas Z (2015) Co-extinct and critically co-endangered species of parasitic lice, and conservation-induced extinction: should lice be reintroduced to their hosts? Oryx 49(1):107–110
Short J, Smith A (1994) Mammal decline and recovery in Australia. J Mammal 75(2):288–297
Smith KG (1973) Insects and other arthropods of medical importance. Insects and other arthropods of medical importance. British Museum (Natural History), London
Terzopoulou S, Rigal F, Whittaker RJ, Borges PAV, Triantis KA (2015) Drivers of extinction: the case of Azorean beetles. Biol Lett 11:1–4
Thompson RA, Lymbery AJ, Godfrey SS (2017) Parasites at risk–Insights from an endangered marsupial. Trends Parasitol 34(1):12–22
Woinarski JC, Burbidge AA, Harrison PL (2015) Ongoing unraveling of a continental fauna: decline and extinction of Australian mammals since European settlement. Proc Natl Acad Sci 112(15):4531–4540
Wyatt KB, Campos PF, Gilbert MTP, Kolokotronis SO, Hynes WH, DeSalle R, Daszak P, MacPhee RD, Greenwood AD (2008) Historical mammal extinction on Christmas Island (Indian Ocean) correlates with introduced infectious disease. PLoS ONE 3(11):e3602
Acknowledgements
I gratefully acknowledge the efforts of Allen C.G. Heath (AgResearch Ltd., Palmerston North, New Zealand), Ricardo L. Palma (Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, New Zealand) and Michael W. Hastriter (Brigham Young University, Utah, USA) who kindly read over this manuscript and provided constructive criticism on its content.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The author declares not conflicts of interest.
Informed consent
As no human subjects were involved in this work, no informed consent is required.
Research involving human participants and/or animals
No humans or live animals were involved in this work.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kwak, M.L. Australia’s vanishing fleas (Insecta: Siphonaptera): a case study in methods for the assessment and conservation of threatened flea species. J Insect Conserv 22, 545–550 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-018-0083-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-018-0083-7