Ectoparasites of the common gundi (Ctenodactylus gundi Rothmann) from the Aures Region, Algeria.

Abstract

Ctenodactylus gundi were captured in the southern region of Aures, Algeria from December 2015 through June 2017 to assess their ectoparasite diversity. 63.5% of the gundi had one or more ectoparasites, while 36.5% had none. Eight species of ectoparasites were identified. The most abundant taxa were species of Neotrombicula (61.5%), Trombicula (10.6%), and Caenopsylla mira (4.8%). The mean intensity for arachnids follows: Neotrombicula spp. (14.3), Trombicula spp. (10.6), and Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus (1.6). Among arachnids, mean intensity of males was greater than females in contrast to that of the flea C. mira, whose mean intensity for females was 4.8 compared to that of males with 2.8. C. mira and Xenopsylla cheopis have previously been reported on the gundi, while the mites Neotrombicula spp., Trombicula spp., Eulaelaps stabularis, O. bacoti, the tick Rh. (Boophilus) annulatus and the louse Polyplax serrata are reported here for the first time. Prevalence was influenced by host sex and was higher in males than females. The highest prevalence was recorded in species of Neotrombicula (39.2%) and Trombicula (20.3%). The abundance of these ectoparasites was directly influenced with climatic conditions specially with temperature (P=0.0002), and air humidity (P=0.0014).