... size on the duration of development and new imago size in three flea species ( Xenopsylla ramesis , Synosternus cleopatrae , Parapulex chephrenis ) with varying host and habitat specificity. In general, the number and size of eggs as well as total egg volume appeared to be independent of maternal body...

... and assessed their immunocompetence and resistance against fleas Parapulex chephrenis when they attained adulthood. Immunocompetence was assessed using leukocyte concentration (LC) and a phytohaemagglutinin injection assay (PHA test). To estimate resistance against fleas, we measured performance of fleas via...

...Irina S. Khokhlova; Laura J. Fielden; A. Allan Degen; Boris R. Krasnov SUMMARY Fleas are haematophagous ectoparasites that exhibit varying degrees of host specificity. Flea abundance is highest on principal hosts and lower on auxiliary hosts but may vary greatly among auxiliary hosts. We...

...Michael Kam; Irina S. Khokhlova; Boris R. Krasnov; A. Allan Degen SUMMARY Fleas can increase the metabolic rate of their hosts. It has been suggested that a constitutive response, in which the host constantly maintains a relatively high level of energy metabolism to combat the parasite...

...Irina S. Khokhlova; Vahan Serobyan; A. Allan Degen; Boris R. Krasnov SUMMARY The quality of offspring produced by parent fleas ( Xenopsylla ramesis ) fed on either male or female rodent hosts ( Meriones crassus ) was studied. The emergence success, duration of development, resistance to starvation...

... of parasites exploiting males rather than females. To test this hypothesis, we investigated foraging and reproductive performance of fleas ( Xenopsylla ramesis ) parasitizing male and female Meriones crassus , a gerbilline rodent. We allowed fleas to feed on groom-restricted rodents and predicted that: (1...