| Summary: | Abstract Co‐invasion, characterized by the simultaneous introduction of hosts and parasites with the latter establishing themselves in native hosts, is a phenomenon of ecological concern. Rattus rattus , a notorious invasive species, has driven the extinction and displacement of numerous avian and mammalian species and serves as a key vector for diseases affecting both humans and wildlife. Among the parasites hosted by R. rattus are fleas, which exhibit obligate parasitic behaviour, a generalist nature and high prevalence, increasing the likelihood of flea invasion. Simultaneously, invasive species can serve as hosts for native parasites, leading to potential amplification or dilution of parasite populations in the environment. In Chile, R. rattus has been present since the 17th century because of the arrival of the Spanish colonizers through the ports and has spread throughout urban, rural and wild Chilean territories. This study aims to evaluate whether co‐invasion of native fleas of invasive rats occurs on native rodents in Chile and to determine whether black rats have acquired flea native to Chile during their invasion. For this, we captured 1132 rodents from 26 localities (20° S–53° S). Rattus rattus was found coexisting with 11 native rodent species and two species of introduced rodents. Among the native rodents, Abrothrix olivacea and Oligoryzomys longicaudatus exhibited more extensive sympatry with R. rattus . We identified 14 flea species associated with R. rattus , of which only three were native to rats: Xenopsylla cheopis , Leptopsylla segnis and Nosopsyllus fasciatus . These three species presented a higher parasite load in black rats compared to native fleas. Leptopsylla segnis and N. fasciatus were also found associated with native rodent species that cohabit with R. rattus . The remaining species associated with R. rattus were fleas of native rodents, although they were less abundant compared to those associated with native rodents, except for Neotyphloceras pardinasi and Sphinctopsylla ares . ...
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