New records of fleas and ticks in armadillos (Xenarthra: Chlamyphoridae) from the Espinal and Monte ecoregions of La Pampa province, Argentina Author Ezquiaga, María Cecilia Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores (CEPAVE) (CONICET, UNLP), La Plata, Argentina. Author Soibelzon, Esteban 0000-0002-7762-2137 División Paleontología Vertebrados, Museo de La Plata, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo (UNLP), La Plata, Argentina. esoibelzon @ fcnym. unlp. edu. ar; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 7762 - 2137 esoibelzon@fcnym.unlp.edu.ar text Zootaxa 2021 2021-03-30 4950 3 595 600 journal article 7347 10.11646/zootaxa.4950.3.12 cbaad27d-c53d-4139-a4c8-cc5ae0eb8d1e 1175-5326 4649950 D2814D6B-A122-4995-A3BA-0AE7D3C43862 Hectopsylla broscus Jordan & Rothschild, 1906 ( Fig. 2c ) Specimens examined: 2 females in 1 individual of C. villosus . Parasitological índices. P=7%; MA=0.1; MI=2 Type host and locality. Conepatus humboldtii , “Pampa Central”, Argentina . Geographic range. endemic to Argentina (provinces of Jujuy , Mendoza , San Luis ) . Remarks. This species is characterized by having six pairs of lateral plantar bristles on the fifth tarsal segment and females possessing a well-defined lobe in the posterior margin of the occipital region ( Hastriter & Méndez 2000 ). This flea has been found mainly on skunks of the genus Conepatus ; thus, it has been suggested that these mammals are their preferred hosts ( Hastriter & Méndez 2000 ). However, the finding of H. broscus on C. villosus and other xenarthran species like Zaedyus pichiy and Chlamyphorus truncatus ( Mauri & Navone 1993 ; Lareschi et al . 2016 ) proves that these mammals could also be its usual hosts. Females of the genus Hectopsylla are semi-sessile and are anchored in position by their laciniae, which are broad, heavily-serrated blades ( Rothschild 1992 ), suggesting an adaptation to the habits of their hosts. This report is the first record of H. broscus parasitizing C. villosus and the first for the province of La Pampa .