Fleas (Insecta: Siphonaptera) of Peru: A Review of Their Diversity and Host Specificity in the Country

In the Neotropical biogeographic region, there are about 290 known species and subspecies of fleas, which have as their main hosts in the Neotropics the subfamily Sigmodontinae. In Peru, more than 22 years have passed since the last list of known flea species was published. This study presents a review and update of the fleas recorded in Peru from 1908 to 2024. This list contains information on the flea species, their hosts, the localities in Peru where they were reported, the main references and some comments. In addition to the list, the specificity of flea-host interactions was assessed through the use of interaction networks. In the literature review, 86 flea species were found distributed among 9 families, 34 genera, and 19 subspecies. Regarding the hosts, these were made up of 72 species between mammals and birds (14 orders, 28 families, 54 genera) and seven undetermined ones. The flea-host interaction network exhibited a modular structure, indicating that these interactions tend to be specialized. A sigmodontine rodent (Akodon mollis) and a Rhopalopsyllidae flea (Polygenis litargus) were highly connected across modules and the overall network, thus were important to maintain the structure. This review contributes to the knowledge of fleas in Peru, synthesizing the scattered information and providing information on the interaction they have with their hosts.