NO. 13G1. RE VISION OF AMERICAN SIPHON APTER A— Ih 1 KER. 373 



Imago parasitic on mauimaLs and birds. Larva free-livino-, subsist- 

 ing on dead organic matter. 



SYNOPSIS OF FAMILIES. 



a. Tlioracicsegineiits stronjily sliortened and constricted; labial i)al)ii without pscudo 

 articulation.s; third joint of antenna' without clearly separated psi-udojoints. 

 h. IMaxilhe without or with very short and l)r()ad projectinj; lamina', their palpi 

 extending beyond anterior coxic; head strongly angulated anteriorly in Ijotii 

 sexes; metathoracic epiphyses extending over nearly two or even three abdom- 

 inal segments; the female becoming endoparasitic when gravid, with globose, 

 enormously dilated abdomen, in which the original chitinous sclerites are 



mostly obliterated SakcopsvllidjE (p. 373). 



hh. MaxilltB with a long, narrow, curved lamina which projects downward and 

 ])ackward, their palpi equaling the anterior coxse; head evenly rounded in 

 both sexes; metathoracic epiphyses extending over but one abdominal seg- 

 ment; gravid female with abdomen vermiform Hectopsyllidjk (p. 375). 



aa. Thoracic segments not strongly shortened and constricted, their epiphyses extend- 

 ing over but one abdominal segment; labial paljji with three or more pseudo- 

 joints; maxillary palpi almost always shorter than anterior coxa-; third ioint 

 of antennae with nine more or less distinctly separated pseudojoints. 

 h. Labial palpi with 11-13 pseudojoints; abdomen of gravid female much swollen ; 



antepygidial bristles absent Vermipsyllid.e (p. 378). 



bb. Lalnal palpi with 3-5 pseudojoints; antepygidial bristles always present. 



c. Fore tibia> armed on posterior border with few, single, very large, black teeth; 



fifth tarsal joint greatly enlarged, those on forelegs as long as rest of tarsus, 



on all legs with the claws nearly as long as the fifth joint; fore cox;e 



nearly nude, with but few long spines; body of gravid female considerably 



swollen ,..MEGAPsvLLir».'E (p. 376) . 



cc. Fore tibi;e armed on posterior border with slender spines; fifth tarsal joint 

 never greatly enlarged, never as long as rest of tarsus; the claws shorter; 

 fore coxse always clothed on outside with several to numerous oblique 

 rows of bristles; body of gra^'id female never swollen so as to expose exten- 

 sive areas of connective membrane Pulicid^e (p. 377) . 



Family SARCOPSYLLID^E Taschenberg. 



1880. Taschexhekg, Die Flijhe, p. 43. 

 1895. Baker, Canad. Ent., XXVII, }>. 20. 



Tliis is the most highly specialized family of the order. The 

 reduced condition of the maxilhv, lul)ial i)ali)i, tliiid joint of antenna', 

 thorax, and coxip are distinctive. 



SYNOPSIS OF GENERA. 



u. .Maxill;i' without projecting lamina; angle of head i)roduced; metathoracic epiphy- 

 ses of great size, extending over three abdominal segments; fifth tarsal joint 

 without lateral heavy spines, and rest of legs almost spineless. 



Sarcopsylla (p. 374). 



«((. Maxilhe with a very short and broad projecting lamina; angle of head not i>ro- 



duced; metathoracic epiphyses of medium size, extending over scarcely two 



abdominal segments; fifth tarsal joint normally armed, as are also the otiier 



joints of the legs XcMopsi/Ua (p. 374). 



