Plague-vector
Guides
Oropsylla hirsuta
prairie dog flea
Oropsylla hirsuta is a flea species and the primary ectoparasite of the black-tailed prairie dog. It serves as a vector of Yersinia pestis, the bacterium causing bubonic plague. Population genetic studies indicate significant structure among prairie dog colonies but no isolation by distance, suggesting fleas disperse independently of host movement. Plague-induced die-offs trigger rapid population expansion from refugia.