Seasonal dynamics of sucking lice (Anoplura) in small mammals (Insectivora, Rodentia) in the natural foci of infections in South West Slovakia

Study on the small mammals and their ectoparasites was carried out on eight localities in South-West Slovakia during the year 1989-1990. The small mammals were caught once a month by means of the Swedish-type metallic traps. In 1989, we found 2442 individuals of lice on 1381 individual of small mammals. In 1990 we obtained 1914 lice from 1125 individuals of nine species of small mammals. We found four species of lice, viz. Hoplopleura acanthopus (Burm.), Hoplopleura longula (Neum.), Polyplax reclinata (Nitzsch) and Polyplax serrata (Burm.). We evaluated the seasonal dynamics of individual lice species and of their hosts and extensity and intensity of infestation of small mammals try lice. The species H. acanthopus found on Clethrionomys glareolus in Bodiky, Istragov and Gabcikovo occurred most abundantly and regularly with a tendency to exhibist two occurrence maxima year.