Atlas of the Fleas (Siphonaptera) of Britain and Ireland

The Biological Records Centre has released Robert George's latest edition of the "Atlas of the Fleas (Siphonaptera) of Britain and Ireland". This new Atlas includes distribution maps, species accounts, details about flea hosts, over 60 different types of British Flea and is an update of the first edition of a “Flea Atlas” which was published by BRC in 1974 also by Mr George.

The TimesOnline reports:

"His fascination with fleas began in 1949, when he was living close to a butcher's and restaurant in Gloucester and trapped 35 mice over three nights. He collected 15 fleas from one mouse and sent them to Frans Smit, curator of the Rothschild Collection of Siphonaptera at Tring, Hertfordshire. Mr Smit told him that they included two species that had never been recorded in Gloucestershire before."

this inspired Mr George to switch from studying beatles to studying fleas. His work has since been recognised as a national recording scheme in 1964 by the Biological Records Centre (BRC), and encourage by Hon. Miriam Rothschild.

Atlas of the Fleas (Siphonaptera) of Britain and Ireland
by Robert.S. George
Edited by Helen Roy, of the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
Published by the Field Studies Council of behalf of the Biological Records Centre
ISBN 978-0-95576-723-4

Ordering Information:
CEH Publication Sales,Monks Wood,Abbots Ripton,Huntingdon,Cambs, PE28 2LS
Tel: 01487 772400
Fax: 01487 773467
Email: ceh_graphicdesign@ceh.ac.uk

Bat Fleas - Siphonaptera Ischnopsyllidae

The bat flea could make a good flea circus performer with a different act, it likes to climb as is used to crawling up cave walls to locate bats roosting on the cave ceiling.



It is yellowish-brown in color and the males grow to 2.4 mm, and females 2.5 mm. Which in flea terms is quite large. The head, thorax, abdomen, and legs are exceptionally long and slender.

However it could be difficult to capture and feed as unlike some other fleas, bat fleas do not feed on other hosts. Female bats normally have more fleas than the males due to the additional time they spend roosting in caves and building. The larvae, pupae and sometimes adults of these fleas live in the guano that accumulates below roosts of these bats.

Please note that it is illegal to handle bats in the UK without a license.

References:
Journal of Parasitology: Ectoparasitic Insects of Bats in British Columbia, Canada
Notes on the Bat Flea, Z Rodríguez, EC Moreira, PM Linardi, HA Santos