Fleas (Siphonaptera) of rodents in the Transcaucasian highland natural plague focus

Abstract

The Transcaucasian highland vole natural plague focus is located within the Javakheti-Armenian (Javakheti and Armenian) Highlands and the Lesser Caucasus. In this region, rodents are hosts for fleas of 42 species from 21 genera. The one third part of flea species are monoxenous, the remaining species are oligoxene or pleioxene parasites. Fleas of 24 species are represented throughout the focus. Others are confined either to the Armenian or the Javakheti Highlands, as well as to the Lesser Caucasus. On the territory of the Transcaucasian focus, the warm period of the year is the most favorable time for the transmission of the plague, since fleas - parasites of the common vole - are characterized by high activity of nutrition and reproduction during this period.