ANOPLURA OF THAILAND — JOHNSON 597 



from other Polyplax, but cannomydis lacks paratergal plates on the 

 terminal abdominal segments. 



Two genera, both closely related to Polyplax, share certain charac- 

 teristics with cannomydis: 



Proenderleinellus Ewing (only included species: calvus (Waterston)) 

 shows relationships to cannomydis in the form of the male genitalia, in 

 lacking abdominal plates, and in having the third pair of legs greatly 

 enlarged, although in calvus the claw is not flattened. The female 

 genitalia are somewhat similar in the two species, but calvus has the 

 lip of the vulva strongly fimbriate (fig. 75). Further, males and 

 females of calvus have two rows of setae on each abdominal segment 

 ventrally and dorsally while cannomydis follows the Polyplax pattern 

 by having only one row ventrally on segments 4-7 in the male. 



Like species of Eulinognaihus Cummings, P. cannomydis lacks the 

 terminal paratergal plates and the female genitalia resemble E. 

 denticulatus Cummings. However, species of Eulinognathus lack the 

 pronotum (which, if present, is always reduced to a very narrow 

 median longitudinal strip in the Anoplura); the pronotum is present 

 in species of Polyplax, and the legs of cannomydis also are more nearly 

 like Polyplax than any species of Eulinognathus . 



Although the generic concept of Polyplax must be broadened in 

 order to include cannomydis, I feel that such broadening is the proper 

 course at this time. Ferris (Contributions toward a Monograph of 

 the Suckmg Lice, pt. 4, 1923) grouped the various species of Polyplax, 

 although without discussing the groups, in what appears to be the 

 most logical pattern. It would be impossible to justify the establish- 

 ment of a new genus to receive cannomydis without naming four or 

 five other new genera to contain the various groups of Polyplax. 

 Polyplax is certainly a complex assemblage of species but there is 

 serious doubt as to whether any purposes would be served by splitting 

 it into several genera. 



Polyplax spinulosa (Biirmeister) 



Figure 73 



Pediculus spinulosus Burmeister, Genera quaedani insectoruin . . . , Rhynchota, 



vol. 1, No. 8, 1839. 

 Polyplax spinulosa, Ferris, Contributions toward a monograph of the sucking 



lice, pt. 4, p. 187, figs. 119, 120 A, D, F, H, 1923. 



P. spinulosa is a parasite of Rattus species throughout the world, 

 particularly R. rattus and R. norvegicus. P. spinulosa proved to be 

 a rare species on Thai Rattus, being taken in 12 collections from 

 Rattus rattus ssp., once from Rattus norvegicus, and once from a 

 "badger," which probably acquired the louse from one of its Rattus 

 victims. 



