Stenoponia americana ( Baker , 1899)

Hastriter, Michael W., Haas, Glenn E. & Wilson, Nixon, 2006, New distribution records for Stenoponia americana (Baker) and Stenoponia ponera Traub and Johnson (Siphonaptera: Ctenophthalmidae) with a review of records from the Southwestern United States, Zootaxa 1253, pp. 51-59 : 53-55

Stenoponia americana ( Baker, 1899)

Occurring primarily on peromyscine and microtine rodents, S. americana is generally found at low elevations from the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic seaboard. Benton (1980) mapped records in all states east of the Mississippi River, except Mississippi and Wisconsin. Haas and Wilson (1973) reported collections from Wisconsin and it undoubtedly occurs in Mississippi as well. In the plains states east of the Rocky Mountains, it has been reported from Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, and eastern Montana. The northern limit of S. americana occurs below 52 degrees latitude in the plains regions from Alberta to Nova Scotia ( Holland, 1985). Stenoponia americana has not been documented in the montane Rocky Mountain regions of Alberta, Canada, Montana, or Wyoming and known records from Colorado are restricted to Custer and Larimer Counties on the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains ( Eads, et al. 1979) and in Mesa Verde National Park, Montezuma County ( Beck 1966, Douglas 1969). In New Mexico, montane records have been reported in Rio Arriba County ( Stark 1958, Williams and Hoff 1951, specific locality, number and sex not stated) and in Catron and Sandoval Counties (Haas et al. 1973, 2004). To better integrate the ecology and zoogeography of the latter two records, collection data not included in the original reports are given below. Coincidental to this current report, Salceda and Hastriter (in press) reported two populations of a large series of S. americana disjunct and remotely located in montane regions of the States of Hidalgo and Puebla, Mexico.

Materials examined

ARKANSAS. Jefferson County: Peromyscus maniculatus Wagner , 16.III.1954, J.P. Redman (BZ­95 lot 54­4222), 1 female; Peromyscus leucopus (Rafinesque) , 20.I.1955 (BZ­626), C.E. Hoffman, 1 female; same data except 20.I.1955 (BZ­626), 1 female; 24.II.1955 (BZ­679), 1 female; 16.II.1955 (BZ­686), 1 male, 1 female ( NMNH). COLORADO. El Paso County: Fort Carson Military Reservation, P. maniculatus , 7.X.1977, Klein Team, 2 males, 1 female; same data except Neotoma mexicana Baird , 8.X.1977, 1 female (MWH). La Plata County: Fort Lewis, nr Hesperus, 21 km W Durango (37°13'30.9"N, 108°10'51.1"W), P. maniculatus , 23.IX.2001, J.J. Root, 2 males; same data except 11–13.X.2005, C.H. Calisher, 3 males, 1 female; Microtus montanus (Peale) 11, 13.X.2005, C.H. Calisher, 2 females (MWH). Larimer County: dog, 25.II.1975, G. Smith, 1 male ( NMNH). Montezuma County: Chapin Mesa, SW of Far View Ruins, Mesa Verde National Park, 2271–2317 m, Peromyscus truei (Shufeldt) and Peromyscus sp., 26.X.1961, C.L. Douglas ( BYU Project X. Field #5890), 1 male, 2 females; same as #5890 except 25.X.1961 (#5909), 2 females; same as #5890 except P. truei and P. maniculatus , 13.X.1961 (#5906), 1 female; same as #5890 except 4.8 km S garbage dump on Ute Indian land, 21.XI.1961 (#5912), 1 male ( BYU). FLORIDA. Leon County: Imonia (Tall Timbers Research Station), Peromyscus gossypinus (Le Conte) , 21.II.1967, W.W. Baker, 1 male, 3 females; same data except, Sigmodon hispidus Say and Ord , 22.II.1967, 3 females; P. gossypinus , 24.II.1967, 1 male; 8.III.1968, 1 male; S. hispidus , 9.III.1968, 1 female; Microtus pinetorum (Le Conte) , 12.IV.1968, 2 males; P. gossypinus , 7.III.1969, 1 female; S. hispidus , 7.III.1969, 1 male; P. gossypinus , 7.III.1970, 2 males, 1 female; 5.III.1971, 1 female; 5.II.1972, 2 females; 19.XII.1972, 2 males, 1 female; 22.XII.1972, 2 females; P. gossypinus (2), 17.I.1973, 1 male, 1 female; P. gossypinus (4) or Neotoma floridana (Ord) , 17.I.1973, 2 males, 2 females; P. gossypinus , 22.II.1973, 1 male; 23.II.1973, 1 male; 16.XI.1976, 1 female; 2.XII.1976, 1 male, 1 female (all NW). GEORGIA. Jackson County: Attica, S. hispidus , 19.II.1965, W.W. Baker, 1 male, 1 female (NW). Richmond County: Augusta, S. hispidus , XII.1945, L. Kartman (A.P. #22192), 1 male; same data except I.1946, 1 male, 1 female; II.1946, 3 males, 3 females ( NMNH). Towns County: Presley (Tray Gap), Peromyscus sp., 27.IV.1967, V.B. Baker, 1 male, 1 female (NW). Wilkes County: Rayle, S. hispidus , 3.II.1965, W.W. Baker, 1 female (NW). INDIANA. Clarke County: Henryville (Clarke State Forest), P. leucopus (2), 26.III.1962, R.E. Mumford, 2 males, 1 female (NW). Harrison County: 2 km S Laconia ( Tobacco Landing), P. leucopus nest, 8.III.1958, N. Wilson, 1 female, 3 larvae ( PUIC, RLCP). Montgomery County: 6 km NNW Waveland (Shades State Park), P. leucopus , 3.II.1957, N. Wilson, 1 female ( PUIC); 8 km N (Pine Hills Nature Preserve), Blarina brevicauda (Say) , 23.I.1958, N. Wilson, 1 female ( PUIC); same data except P. leucopus , 24.I.1958, 2 males ( PUIC). Parke County: 5 km N Byron (Shades State Park), P. leucopus (3), 10.II.1957, N. Wilson, 4 males, 9 females ( PUIC). Ripley County: 8 km N Friendship, Scalopus aquaticus (Linnaeus) , 8.XI.1957, N. Wilson, 1 male ( PUIC). IOWA. Dubuque County: Dubuque (Mines of Spain State Recreation Area), P. leucopus (13), 14.X.1984, N. Wilson, 1 male, 1 female, 2 eggs; Sagerville, P. leucopus , 23.IX.1977, N. Wilson, 1 female; subsequent Iowa records same data except 24.IX.1977, 1 male, 2 females; 7.IX.1977, 1 female, 2 eggs; 8.X.1977, 1 male; 13 hosts, 11.XI.1977, 6 males, 12 females (2 eggs); 3 hosts, 12.XI.1977, 1 male, 6 females, 6 eggs; 16.XI.1977, 1 female; 4 hosts, 16.XII.1977, 3 males, 3 females, 2 eggs; 17.XII.1977, 1 male; B. brevicauda , 11.XI.1977, 1 male (all NW). KENTUCKY. Edmonson County: Mammoth Cave National Park, P. leucopus active nest, 3.IV.1958. N. Wilson, 4 larvae ( RLCP). Ohio County: 6.4 km N Deanefield, P. leucopus , 31.XII.1981, 1 female; 27.XII.1992, 1 female (NW). MONTANA. Rosebud County: 12.9 km E Forsyth, P. maniculatus , 6.IV.1940 [C­ 2622, ( CDC Plague Laboratory, San Francisco, California ( CDCPL, SF, CA)], 1 male ( NMNH). NEW MEXICO. Catron County: Mogollon Volcanic Plateau, Hellroaring Mesa, Apache National Forest, ~2.8 km NNE Luna Post Office (33°51'N, 108°56'W), 2195 m, Peromyscus gratus Merriam , rocky hillside with junipers ( Juniperus sp.) and piñon pines ( Pinus edulis Engelmann ), 18.III.1990 (TAS 323), T.A. Spradling, 1 male (GE H) (see Haas et al. 2004:516). Lincoln County: 11.3 km N Ruidoso, Peromyscus boylii (Baird) , 4.XII.1951 (316 NM 1029, ( CDCPL, SF, CA), 1 female ( NMNH). Rio Arriba County: 1.6 km NE Chama, 2377 m, P. maniculatus , 31.VIII.1951 [NM 790 261d RT B­ 8604, ( CDCPL, SF, CA)], 1 male ( NMNH) (see Stark 1958: 70). Sandoval County: Jemez Mts., Bandelier National Monument, north side NM Hwy 4, mixed conifer forest (35°50'58"N, 106°24'55"W), 2716 m, P. maniculatus , 7.V.1970, G.E. Haas & R.P. Martin, 1 female (GEH) (see Haas et al. 1973:28). NORTH CAROLINA. Cumberland County: McFayden Pond, Fort Bragg Military Reservation, S. hispidus , 21.I.1971, G. Dancisak & H. Fleming, 1 female ( NMNH). Forsyth County: Winston­Salem, found on skinning table where B. brevicauda , P. maniculatus , Ochrotomys nuttalli (Harlan) and Mus musculus Linnaeus had been handled, 19.III.1970, J.B. Cope, 1 female (NW). OHIO. Athens County: Athens, P. leucopus , (no date), H.T. Gier (A.P. #16527), 1 female ( NMNH). SOUTH DAKOTA. Fall River County: Microtus sp., 10.IX.1946 [46F181 ( CDCPL, SF, CA)], 1 female ( NMNH). Jackson County: Microtus pennsylvanicus (Ord) , 3.X.1942 [42F203 ( CDCPL, SF, CA)], 1 male ( NMNH). UTAH. San Juan County: Brumley Creek (T27S, R23E, SE 1/4), P. t r u e i, 27.X.1988, T. Tibbets, 1 male, 1 female (REL). Utah County: Chimney Rock Pass, Reithrodontomys sp., 17.IV.1947, L.S. Miller (Museum no. 6026), 1 male ( BYU).

Remarks

Records reported by Beck (1966) and Douglas (1969) were the first records for Colorado; however, both authors considered the species as either S. americana or S. ponera and were uncertain of their specific identities. Interestingly, both species were present in their material (see Material Examined herein for each species). The presence of S. americana in San Juan and Utah Counties, Utah are new state records and the western most for the species. It is surprising to find the Utah records scattered on isolated mountain ranges relative to the SW Colorado records, especially when the Utah County record is ~ 435 km northwest of the previously reported Colorado material. The species is also recorded herein for the first time in La Plata County, Colorado and in two counties in South Dakota. Data were listed for specimens from Richmond County, Georgia and Athens County, Ohio, which were only illustrated on the map in Benton (1980). Eads, et al. (1979) recorded 8 males and 13 females from Custer County, Colorado but we were unable to locate these specimens. Several specimens noted by Jellison and Senger (1973) from Petroleum and Rosebud Counties, Montana were collected in habitats suggestive of those on the eastern slopes of the Colorado Rockies. Stenoponia americana located in the Rocky Mountain region of Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico are found within the limits of the Colorado Plateau with exception of those from El Paso, Larimer, and Lincoln Counties, Colorado. Future collecting in Wyoming, northwestern Colorado and western Montana is needed to determine if the species extends beyond the Colorado Plateau in the western United States.

Seven females collected in Iowa in September through December deposited large eggs, in pairs, when placed in 70% ethanol. Larvae were collected from P. leucopus nest material from Indiana and Kentucky in March and April, respectively. In the material at hand, adults were collected as early as 31 August (Rio Arriba County, NM, 2377 m), 7 September (Dubuque County, IA, <400 m) and 10 September (Fall River County, SD, unknown elevation) and as late as 7 May (Sandoval County, NM, 1716 m), 27 April (Towns County, GA, 1185 m) and 17 April (Utah County, UT, ~ 1600 m). These large fleas are collected primarily during cooler months with only one or two per host animal. Warm weather seems to have a deleterious effect on adult longevity, since they emerge earlier and survive later at cool higher elevations. The Towns County, Georgia record collected at Tray Gap along the Appalachian Trail represents one of the highest points in the state and might have similar physiographic characteristics to the high elevations of western states.