From June/2001 to November/2003, 51 fleas were collected on eight dogs from two rural properties of the county of Piraí, State of Rio de Janeiro. After preservation in 70% ethanol, the fleas were counted and sexed in the Laboratório de Parasitologia Animal da Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro. The samples were identificated as Rhopalopsyllus lutzi lutzi (Baker, 1904) (male=18 and female=33). For the first time R. lutzi lutzi was found paraziting dogs in rural areas of the State of Rio de Janeiro.
Dogs; fleas; Rhopalopsyllidae; Rhopalopsyllus lutzi lutzi; Siphonaptera
