Autumn and winter – a time, for many associated with hunting period. Beaver – probably one of the most discussed animals in hunting, forestry, nature protection, science and not only. I think that I will be not mistaken if I’ll say that most of beaver hunters HAVE seen “beaver flea”. I think that I will be not mistaken if I’ll say that most of insect scientists HAVE NOT seen beaver beetle.
Beaver beetle in magnification (from above – picture to the left, from bellow – picture to the right)
Flea or beetle?
Beaver beetle Platypsyllus castoris is one of beetles in Leiodidae family. Although, this beetle has been know by scientists already since year 1869, when Dutch origin entomologist Coenraad Cornelius Ritsema (1846-1929) described this beetle as a new species, however we know only a little about its distribution and behaviour. It is known that the beetle can be found in northern hemisphere in North America, Europe and Asia. Looking at the distribution of beaver beetle in Europe according to the data of Fauna Europea, it can be thought that it is a very rare beetle. However, if we go through scientific researches it becomes clear that this beetle can be found also in other countries – Belgium, Russia, Great Britain, Finland and other places.
Distribution of beaver beetle in Europe according to data of Fauna Europea.
What does beaver beetle do in fur
Beaver beetle lives in fur of beavers, however, it is known that it can also live in fur of otters. (Probably, that it can be found in otter fur at least as frequent as in beaver fur. However, otters in most of countries are protected, thus the information about the inhabitants of otter fur is little.) Beaver beetle feeds on epidermal tissue and, perhaps, also on skin secretions and liquids from wounds. It travels from beaver to beaver when animals come in contact, because beetle has no wings and has reduced eyes – it orients by the temperature of host's body, and perhaps, by smell. There is no safe information about the number of beetles on one host, but in some beaver furs in Latvia there have been found 3-15 beetles.
Beaver beetle in Latvia
After talking with Latvian hunters it becomes clear – where there are beavers, there are beaver beetles. But scientifically correct documentations of beaver beetles can be counted on the fingers of two hands. The reasons can be several – there are hardly no beetle scientists who are also beaver hunters, beetles are many and this is only one of ~15 000 beetle species known in Latvia, to hunter's eye flea is a flea – better to stay away from it... And more. Not all “fleas” found in beaver fur can safely be assumed to be beaver beetle. Researches in USA, Canada and Poland show that beaver fur can host a pretty colourful society – louses, fleas, ticks, mites. But no need to worry – those are not the same species of louses, fleas or ticks that sometimes live on cats, dogs and humans.
If you want to know what has lived in the fur of your beaver, or want to help in the research of nature – place some or all of the “fleas” in come container and send to the LVM expert Mārtiņš Kalniņš (phone +371 26457974 or email:
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