On the fleas and louse (Insecta: Siphonaptera and Anoplura) of the garden dormouse,Eliomys quercinus (L. 1766) in Belgium

More than 3500 fleas, collected in southern Belgium, from 54 garden dormice (Eliomys quercinus) and from 58 nests of the rodent, were examined. Ceratophyllus s. sciurorum seems to be the only regular and abundant flea on the garden dormouse and in its nest whereas Myoxopsylla laverani is quite uncommon (5/31 infested animal and 11/52 infested nests). In comparison, 96 garden dormice were checked in France. M. laverani is present on nearly every infested animal (61/66). Other fleas were also found, some mammal-fleas (Megabothris turbidus, Hystrichopsylla talpae, several Ctenophthalmus spp.) and great numbers of bird-fleas (Ceratophyllus gallinae and Dasypsyllus gallinulae) because the dormouse-nests where the fleas were taken were built on old tit-nests (Parus spp). Finally, Schizophthirus pleurophaeus, a louse, was collected for the first time in Belgium.