Family PULICIDAE

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Family PULICIDAE

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Andrew A. Calder, CSIRO Entomology, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia

Introduction

The family Pulicidae is represented in Australia by 20 species and subspecies. Eleven of these are endemic, another two are probably indigenous and the remaining seven are introduced cosmopolitan species associated with domestic animals (Dunnet & Mardon 1991). Five genera occur in Australia. Pulex, including the so-called Human Flea, has been transported by man all over the world and is widespread in Australia. Owing to improvement in the standards of hygiene, the Human Flea is encountered much less frequently in urban districts than formerly (Smit 1965). Ctenocephalides includes the cosmopolitan cat and dog fleas, both of which are very common. Echidnophaga with 12 species is the largest genus. Ten of these species are endemic. Echidnophaga gallinacea is cosmopolitan and was probably introduced to Australia where it parasitises domestic poultry as well as numerous mammals and birds. Xenopsylla, with four species recorded from Australia, includes one endemic species. Xenopsylla cheopis is a cosmopolitan flea transported widely on shipboard rats and is therefore often found in ports.

Several fleas in this family are important vectors of disease. For example, Xenopsylla cheopis is renowned as a vector of bubonic plague. Two species have been introduced to Australia deliberately. Spilopsyllus cuniculi was introduced from Europe in 1968 to facilitate the transmission of the myxoma virus in wild rabbit populations as a means of rabbit control (Williams 1971; Williams & Parer 1971). More recently, the Spanish Rabbit Flea, Xenopsylla cunicularis, has been released as a potential vector of this virus in arid regions.

Worldwide, the family contains two subfamilies—Pulicinae with 22 genera and 159 species and Tunginae with 5 genera and 23 species (Lewis 1998). Most of the Australian representatives are known from marsupials and introduced or native rodents. Only Echidnophaga gallinacea is recorded from birds, from native species as well as from the domestic fowl.

Pulicids are characterised as mesonotum without pseudosetae under the collar; mid coxa without an outer internal ridge; hind coxa with short spiniform setae on lower part of inner side; metepimeron extending far upwards, its spiracle placed well above the metepisternum; metanotum and abdominal terga without apical spinelets; no setae above spiracle of tergum VIII; abdominal terga II–VII with at most one row of setae; sensilium with at most 14 pits on each side.