What are the factors determining the probability of discovering a flea species (Siphonaptera)? [Quels sont les facteurs déterminant la probabilité de découverte d'une espèce de puce (Siphonaptera)?

Résumé

Flea species infesting hosts with a large range of body size have a higher likelihood of being discovered because this diversity of body sizes increases the number of ways in which a mammal may be sampled: poisoning, trapping or hunting efficiency are certainly related to particular size ranges. For example, Ctenophthalmus breviatus that exploit hosts of four rodent and one insectivore families ranging in body size from 8000 g (Marmota bobac) to 8 g (Sorex araneus) was described in 1926, whereas Ctenophthalmus shovi parasitizing hosts of two rodent and one insectivore families ranging in body size from 40 g (Apodemus mystacinus) to 8 g (Sorex satunini) was discovered in 1948.