THE FLEAS OF NORTH AMERICA 41 



The Subgenus FOXELLA Wagner 



Foxella Wagner, 1929. Konowia s : 314. footnote. Type, Pulex ignotus Baker 

 • by original designation). 



With the characters of the genus Dactylopsylla and in addition: In male, 

 sternal plate VIII somewhat reduced, ending posteriorly in a pair of small, 

 simple lobes, each of which bears a large, heavily pigmented, marginal bristle 

 at its base: sternal plate IN with a pair of large, inner, vertical processes, a 

 conspicuous, anterior, median apophysis, and a pair of large, posterior proc- 

 esses, each being divided into a proximal and a distal lobe by a broad ventral 

 sinus: movable finger of clasper long, slender, but not hooked backward at 

 apex. 



A- already stated (see paragraph following- the description of the 

 subgenus Dactylopsylla) , the male terminalia of the three subgenera 

 of the genus Dactylopsylla are essentially the same in general plan. 

 In Foxella sternal plate VIII is much more reduced than in the 

 type subgenus and possesses a very large, pigmented bristle at the 

 base of each distal lobe, the movable finger is not hooked backward 

 at the apex, and the outer sheath of the penis is less modified. 



Dactylopsylla (Foxella) igxota ignota (Baker), new combination 



Pulcx ignotus Baker. 1895, Canad. Ent. 21: 110. 

 Typhlopsylla americana Baker, 1895, Canad. Ent 27: 189. 



Ceratophyllus ignotus Baker. 1904, U. S. Natl. Mns. Proc 27: 41t;. pi. 21. 



figs. 1-6. 



/'/ ignotus Wagner. 1980, Konowia 8: 315, footnote; I. Fox. 1040. Fleas 

 <>f Eastern United Stan- p. :;'.». pi. 11. rig<. 52, ."4. and 55. 



Type host. — Unknown. 



Type locality. — Ames. Iowa. 



Range. — The species is common in the western part of the United 

 States and Canada, forming several varieties. This particular 

 variety occurs in Iowa. Minnesota, and Illinois. 



This variety is a rodent flea, yet Jellison (J.j. />. 794) found 55 

 individuals in a nest containing 5 half-grown fledglings of the bur- 

 rowing owl, Speotyto cunicularia (Molina), in the sylvatic-plague 

 area of Montana. In addition to the specimens of Dactylopsylla 

 ignota ignota, Jellison found in this same nest rodent fleas of 5 other 

 specie-, making a total of 109 flea specimens. These observations 

 show how important the burrowing owl may become in disseminat- 

 ing fleas occurring on plague-infested rodents. 



Dactylopsylla (Foxella) ignota albertensis (Jordan and Rothschild), new 



combination 



Ceratophyllus ignotus albertensis Jordan and Rothschild, 1915, Ectoparasites 



1 : 56, figs. 58 and 60. 



Cotype ho^ts. — Geomys sp. (pocket gopher). Mustela sp. (weasel), 

 and Lyn.r- canadensis Kerr (Canada lynx). 



Type locality. — Blar-kfalls. Alberta. 



Range. — Known only from Alberta. 



In this variety the eighth sternal plate of the abdomen in the 

 male is shorter than in the varieties ignota. apachina, recvJa. and 

 franciscana and has very short apical lobes. The movable finger is 

 provided with four long setae on its posterior margin. 



