Chebbah Ourida, Souttou Karim, Ouachek Karim, Lounis Mohamed, Brun Sophie, Izri Arezki, Akhoundi Mohammad
Laboratory for Exploration and Valorisation of Steppe Ecosystems, Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural and Life Sciences, University of Djelfa, P.O. Box 3117, Djelfa 17000, Algeria.
Parasitology-Mycology Department, Avicenne Hospital, AP-HP, Bobigny, Sorbonne Paris Nord University, 93430 Villetaneuse, France.
Insects. 2025 Apr 6;16(4):390. doi: 10.3390/insects16040390.
Hedgehogs are small omnivorous mammals prevalent across Europe, Asia, and Africa. The expanding intrusion of humans into hedgehog habitats and rising popularity of keeping exotic animals like hedgehogs as pets have disrupted the delicate balance of the human-animal-environment interface. Despite their ecological importance, hedgehog-borne flea species have received limited research attention, with most studies focusing on their vectorial role, and except one report, nothing on the species composition and genetic diversity of hedgehog flea specimens. An inventory and phylogenetic investigation, conducted for the first time in Algeria as well as in North Africa, allowed for collecting 45 hedgehogs (15 males and 30 females) and 303 fleas, and analyzing them through morphological and molecular approaches. The hedgehog specimens were subjected to macro- and microscopic examinations based on diagnostic morphological criteria and morphometric measurements, resulting in their identification as This study represents the first report of this species' prevalence in Djelfa. The ecological and geographical diversity of the studied areas, from arid deserts to humid regions, highlights the adaptability and resilience of to diverse habitats. Additionally, 271 and 32 flea specimens were morphologically identified as and , respectively. Molecular examination targeting ITS1-rDNA further confirmed the morphological identification of fleas species. Phylogenetic analysis of fleas' ITS1-rDNA sequences revealed heterogeneity, with the specimens clustering into two distinct clades. The first clade comprised two populations of while the second clade included specimens of this study, grouped with homologous sequences from various regions worldwide. No correlation between flea species and geographical locations was observed demonstrating the sympatric distribution of flea specimens in the studied regions. In addition, no hybrid or genetic combination notion was observed among the flea specimens processed in this study compared with those coming from other countries. These findings contribute to our understanding of the species composition and distribution of hedgehogs and their flea ectoparasites in Algeria and provide a baseline for future epidemiological and entomological research in the country.
刺猬是小型杂食性哺乳动物，在欧洲、亚洲和非洲都有分布。人类对刺猬栖息地的侵入不断扩大，以及将刺猬等外来动物作为宠物饲养的现象日益普遍，扰乱了人类-动物-环境界面的微妙平衡。尽管刺猬具有生态重要性，但刺猬携带的跳蚤种类受到的研究关注有限，大多数研究集中在它们的媒介作用上，除了一份报告外，关于刺猬跳蚤标本的种类组成和遗传多样性几乎没有研究。在阿尔及利亚以及北非首次进行的清查和系统发育调查，共收集了45只刺猬（15只雄性和30只雌性）和303只跳蚤，并通过形态学和分子学方法对它们进行了分析。根据诊断形态学标准和形态测量对刺猬标本进行了宏观和微观检查，结果将它们鉴定为…… 本研究是该物种在杰勒法流行情况的首次报告。研究区域从干旱沙漠到湿润地区的生态和地理多样性，突出了…… 对不同栖息地的适应性和恢复力。此外，分别有271只和32只跳蚤标本在形态上被鉴定为…… 和…… 针对ITS1-rDNA的分子检查进一步证实了跳蚤种类的形态学鉴定。对跳蚤ITS1-rDNA序列的系统发育分析显示出异质性，标本聚为两个不同的分支。第一个分支包括两个…… 种群，而第二个分支包括本研究的…… 标本，与来自世界各地不同区域的同源序列归为一组。未观察到跳蚤种类与地理位置之间的相关性，表明研究区域内跳蚤标本的同域分布。此外，与来自其他国家的跳蚤标本相比，本研究处理的跳蚤标本中未观察到杂交或基因组合的情况。这些发现有助于我们了解阿尔及利亚刺猬及其跳蚤外寄生虫的种类组成和分布，并为该国未来的流行病学和昆虫学研究提供了基线。
