Orchopeas howardi ( Baker )

Reeves, Will K., Durden, Lance A., Ritzi, Christopher M., Beckham, Katy R., Super, Paul E & Oconnor, Barry M., 2007, Ectoparasites and other ectosymbiotic arthropods of vertebrates in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA, Zootaxa 1392, pp. 31-68 : 39

Orchopeas howardi ( Baker) —squirrel flea

Ex bird nest: 1F, NC, Haywood Co., Purchase Knob, 23 May 2003, W. K. Reeves, L­3071; 1F, NC, Haywood Co., Cataloochee, 3 May 2002, W. K. Reeves, L­2935.

Ex Sciurus carolinensis (gray squirrel): TN, Sevier Co., Route 441, 2,000 ft., “Dec.” ( Linzey & Linzey 1973, Durden & Kollars, 1997); 2F, TN, Sevier Co., Sugarlands on US 441, 19 Dec. 2005, W.K. Reeves, L­ 3329.

Ex Tamiasciurus hudsonicus (red squirrel): 1F, TN, Sevier Co., Clingman’s Dome, 4 Nov. 2000, E. B. Pivorun, L­2956.

Ex pitfall trap: 1F, TN, Cocke Co., Snakeden Ridge, 4–21 Dec. 2001, Parker, Stocks, Petersen.

Ex squirrel nest: “Many inds.,” TN, Sevier Co., Greenbrier, 5 May 1946, D. W. Pfitzer (Pfitzer 1950, Benton 1980, Durden & Kollars 1997).

Orchopeas howardi is a widespread flea associated with Nearctic tree squirrels that is especially common in the eastern United States (Durden & Kollars 1997). As one of the above records indicates, O. howardi can infest bird nests. This flea has been implicated in the transmission of Rickettsia prowazekii from flying squirrels to humans (Soneshine et al. 1978; Bozeman et al. 1981) and was recently associated with uncultured Rickettsia sp. and Bartonella sp. genotypes ( Reeves et al. 2005b). Durden et al. (2004) reported two additional genotypes of Bartonella from this flea.