Checklist of Siphonaptera (Insecta) from São Paulo State, Brazil

Abstract

Adult fleas are haematophagous insects that act as infesting agents or as vectors of pathogens. Your hosts are endothermic animals, essentially rodents. The flea fauna of São Paulo State represents 61.3% (38/62) of the Brazilian's fauna, being the richest when compared with other States in number of species or genera. Some species are known only by one or other of the sexes; others, through limited numbers of specimens collected. Four species are endemic (10.5%) in the State. In Brazil, the main collection of fleas is deposited at the Museum of Zoology of USP.