Ticks and fleas of the critically endangered mountain pygmy-possum (Burramys parvus) in Kosciuszko National Park, Australia

The mountain pygmy-possum (Burramys parvus Broom, 1896) is a critically endangered marsupial native to alpine-subalpine regions of Australia. This study sampled ticks and fleas from B. parvus in Kosciuszko National Park, New South Wales, Australia. The ticks were identified as Ixodes tasmani Neumann, 1899 and Ixodes sp. cf. tasmani Neumann, 1899. Fleas were identified as Acanthopsylla rothschildi (Rainbow, 1905), Acanthopsylla scintilla (Rothschild, 1936), Pygiopsylla hoplia Jordan & Rothschild, 1922 and Stephanocircus simsoni Rothschild, 1905. To support molecular species identification a whole genome sequencing was performed as reference genetic material the above-mentioned parasites.