Xenopsylla nesiotes (Maclear's Rat Flea)

[Melanie]

Became extinct with its host, the MacLear Rat, in 1903

therevelator.org/rat-extinct-flea/

[Melanie]

Australia’s vanishing fleas (Insecta: Siphonaptera): a case study in methods for the assessment and conservation of threatened flea species

Authors


Mackenzie L. Kwak

1.Evolutionary Biology Laboratory, Department of Biological ScienceNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore

ORIGINAL PAPER
First Online: 13 August 2018



Abstract

While invertebrate conservation is attracting increased funding and interest, research remains heavily skewed towards ‘flagship’ insect groups like bees and butterflies. This has resulted in a knowledge gap relating to less popular but equally imperilled groups like fleas. Methods for the risk assessment of host specific parasites were used to determine the conservation status of all host specific flea species distributed in Australia. The results indicated one species apparently extinct, two critically endangered, two endangered, and three vulnerable. Based on these results, novel methods for the conservation of threatened fleas are outlined, including the concepts of holistic conservation and the cryptic loss effect.

link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10841-018-0083-7

[Melanie]

OD by Rothschild & Jordan (as Loemopsylla nesiotes) Parasitology vol 1, no. 1, 1908, pages 47-48

www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/249183#page/61/mode/1up