Vol. 90, No. 1, February 1979 23 MALLOPHAGA OF WILD MAMMALS OF INDIANA 1 John 0. Whitaker, Jr., Rebecca J. Goff 2 ABSTRACT: Biting lice, Mallophaga, on wild mammals of Indiana were found as follows: Geomydoecus illinoiensis on Geomys bursarius, Suricatoecus quadraticeps on Urocyon cinereoargcnteus, Trichodectes octomaculatus on Procyon lotor, Stachiclla kingi on Mustela nivalis, S. larseni on Mustela vison, Neotrichodectes minutus on Mustela frcnata, Neotrichodectes interruptofasciatus on Taxidca taxus, Neotrichodectes mephitidis on Mephitis mephitis, and Tricholipeums parallelus and T. lipeuroides on Odocoilcus virginiana. Not found to date were Suricatoecus vulpis (which could be synonymous with S. quadraticeps) from Vulpes rulpcs, Heterodoxus spinigcr and Trichodectes canis from Canis latrans, and Felicola felis from Lynx rufus. There are very few reports of biting lice, Mallophaga, from wild mammals of Indiana, although biting lice are very host specific and thus one is able to predict quite accurately the species one would expect to find. We know of only three previous reports of Mallophaga on Indiana mammals. Tuszynski and Whitaker (1972) and Malecki (unpublished thesis) reported Geomy-doecus geomydis (Osborn, 1891) from the Pocket gopher, Geomys bursarius. However, this louse has now been reidentified as G. illinoiensis Price and Emerson, 1971. Wilson (1957) reported Trichodectes mephitidis on Mephitis mephitis from Wayne County, Indiana. During studies on the mammals of Indiana (Mumford and Whitaker, in preparation), a large number of most of the species of wild mammals of Indiana have been examined for ectoparasites. The purpose of the present paper is to report on the biting lice, Mallophaga, found during these studies. MATERIALS AND METHODS Mammals for these studies have been captured in various ways. Some have been shot or trapped, road kills have been extensively examined, while other animals have been donated to us from citizens of Indiana. Animals for study were generally placed in plastic bags as soon as possible after capture, and often were frozen until they could be examined. Mainly we have used direct observation of mammals, using dissecting needles to probe while viewing the fur and skin of the mammals under 10 to 70 power of a dissecting microscope. Our second major method was by wash-deceived October 18, 1978. Department of Life Sciences, Indiana State University, Terrc Haute, Indiana 47809. ENT. NEWS 90 (1) 23-25. February 1979
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