Family HYSTRICHOPSYLLIDAE

Museums

Regional Maps

Introduction

The Hystrichopsyllidae are a worldwide family of about 46 genera and 582 known species and subspecies arranged in ten subfamilies (Lewis & Lewis 1985; Lewis 1998). The family is represented in Australia by two endemic monotypic genera, Acedestia and Idilla. Smit (1957) considered Acedestia to be a nest flea due to the reduced eye and chaetotaxy of the adult. Similarly, Idilla shows marked adaptations to a nest-dwelling way of life with vestigial eyes and reduced chaetotaxy. Acedestia is uncommon on bandicoots of the marsupial family Peramelidae even though large numbers of other flea species are supported. All specimens of Idilla so far known have been collected from the dasyurid Antechinus flavipes.

Both genera were originally included in a newly erected hystrichopsyllid subfamily Acedestiinae by Smit (1957) on the basis of females only. The discovery of the male of Idilla caelebs enabled Smit (1962) to relate these two genera to others of the family Hystrichopsyllidae and included both genera in a restructured Doratopsyllinae. However, both Smit (1982) and Lewis (1998) considered the Doratopsyllinae to be a subfamily of the Ctenophthalmidae.

The Australian species are poorly collected and are represented by relatively few specimens in museum collections.

Australian hystrichopsyllids are characterised as head integricipit; genal ctenidium comprising four sharp spines; antennal fossa closed; pronotal ctenidium present; mesonotum with pseudosetae under the collar; metanotum without marginal spinelets; mid coxa with outer internal ridge; no setae on lateral surfaces of femora; abdominal terga II–VII with one row of setae; no setae above spiracle of tergum VIII; sensillium with 14 pits each side.

General References

Lewis, R.E. 1998. Résumé of the Siphonaptera (Insecta) of the World. Journal of Medical Entomology 35(4): 377-389 [Date published 31/July/1998]

Lewis, R.E. & Lewis, J.H. 1985. Notes on the geographical distribution and host preferences in the order Siphonaptera. Part 7. New taxa described between 1972 and 1983, with a supraspecific classification of the order. Journal of Medical Entomology 22: 134-152

Smit, F.G.A.M. 1957. New hystrichopsyllid Siphonaptera. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Entomology 6: 41-76

Smit, F.G.A.M. 1962. A description of the male of Idilla caelebs, with a discussion of the relationships of this species (Siphonaptera: Hystrichopsyllidae). Proceedings of the Royal Entomological Society of London (B) 31: 109-114

Smit, F.G.A.M. 1982. Siphonaptera. pp. 557-563 in Parker, S.P. (ed.). Synopsis and Classification of Living Organisms. New York : McGraw Hill Vol. 2 1232 pp.

History of changes