Record of five new endemic small mammal hosts for four ectoparasite species from Sri Lanka

Both ticks and fleas are medically important arthropods, which act as vectors for a number of zoonotic diseases. In Sri Lanka, 35 species of ticks and 20 species of fleas have been reported from mammals, birds and reptiles. However, records of these parasites from small mammals are scanty. Here, we report ticks and fleas infesting muroid rodents and shrews including endemic species collected from around the country. Of the 149 small mammals collected, 48 individuals were infested with ticks, fleas or both. Immature stages of three tick species, Ixodes ceylonensis, Haemaphysalis hystricis and Hyalomma brevipunctata and unidentified species of Rhipicephalus were recorded from ten small mammal species. Four species of fleas, Stivalius phoberus, Stivalius aporus, Lentistivalius ferinus and Nosopsyllus tamilanus were identified from five species of small mammals. We report new host species for I. ceylonensis (Crocidura miya, Suncus montanus and Solisorex pearsoni), S. aporus (S. montanus and Mus fernandoni), N. tamilanus (S. pearsoni) and Rhipicephalus spp. (Crocidura hikmiya, S. montanus, S. pearsoni, M. fernandoni). All new host species reported here are endangered or critically endangered endemics to Sri Lanka.