OCCURRENCE OF THE FLEA GLACIOPSYLLUS-ANTARCTICUS AND AVIAN LICE IN CENTRAL DRONNING-MAUD LAND

The flea Glaciopsyllus antarcticus is endemic to the Antarctic contine nt, where it is known to parasitise a number of seabird species. This paper reports the occurrence of the flea and two species of lice from snow petrel (Pagodroma nivea) colonies in central Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica, and extends considerably the recorded distribution of the flea. Flea adults, pupae and larvae were recovered from 10 of 11 sampl es of organic material collected from snow petrel nests at Svarthamare n (71 degrees 53'S, 05 degrees 10'E) in the Muhlig-Hofmannfjella. Spec imens of two philopterid lice species, Saemundssonia antarctica and Ps eudonirmus charcoti, were recovered from three of these samples. Speci mens of the Antarctic flea and of the louse S. antarctica were recover ed from carcasses of snow petrel chicks collected both at Svarthamaren and Robertskollen (71 degrees 28'S, 03 degrees 15'W) in the northern Ahlmannryggen; the louse Pseudonirmus charcoti was recovered from Robe rtskollen only.