THE FLEAS OF NORTH AMERICA 19 



Wagner (80, p. lt-0), in his catalog of the Palaearctic fleas, gives 

 ursi as a synonym of tuberculaticeps Bezzi, but the single male speci- 

 men of ursi available to the authors for study appears to be distinct. 

 The absence of antepygidial bristles and the presence of an un- 

 modified sternum VIII of the male at once mark this species, the only 

 one of its genus in North America, as very unusual. 



The Genus Trichopsylloides Ewing 



(Fig. 4, A) 



Trichopsylloides Ewing, 1938, Wash., Ent. Soc. Proc. 40: 94. Monotypic. Type, 



Trichopsylloides oregonensis Ewing. 

 Phaneris Jordan, 1939, Novitates Zool. 41: 317. Monotypic. Type, Phaneris 



hubbardi Jordan. 



Frontal tubercle minute, angulate apically. Antennal club rounded apically. 

 Eyes absent. Labial palpus not reaching to apex of trochanter I, 5-segmented. 

 Postantennal region of head with 3 rows of setae, lowest seta in each row 

 longest. Pronotal comb composed of long, well-pigmented spines. Upper sclerite 

 of metepisternum more or less anchylosed with metanotum, but always showing 

 at least a vestigial inner ridge along its upper boundary. Metepimeron fused 

 along upper part of anterior end with metepisternum. Abdomen of gravid 

 female not greatly distended. Antepygidial bristles either undifferentiated from 

 other nearby setae or but slightly differentiated. Sternum VIII of male large, 

 unmodified ; sternum IX produced into a pair of large, semiclavate, setigerous 

 lobes. 



In the type species there is no evident differentiation of the 

 antepygidial bristles from the other nearby setae, yet in Phaneris 

 hubbardi Jordan, a specimen of which was lent to the author of 

 Trichopsylloides for examination, there is a definite but slight dif- 

 ferentiation of the antepygidial bristles. The presence in this genus 

 of a pronotal comb and five-segmented palpi and the absence of eyes 

 indicate its close relationship with the subfamily Dolichopsyllinae. 



Trichopsylloides hubbardi (Jordan), new combination 



Phaneris hubbardi Jordan, 1939, Novitates Zool. 41 : 318, figs. 268 and 269. 



Type host. — Aplodontia rufa (Raf.) (mountain beaver). 



Type locality. — Springwater, Oreg. 



Range. — Known only from Oregon. 



Further study with an abundance of material may show that 

 hubbardi is only a synonym of oregonensis Ewing. It is similar to 

 Trichopsylloides oregonensis except for the clear differentiation of 

 the antepygidial bristles and the fact that the upper sclerite of the 

 metepisternum is more clearly demarcated from the metanotum in 

 hubbardi. 



Trichopsylloides oregonensis Ewing 



(Fig. 4, A) 



Trichopsylloides oregonensis Ewing, 1938, Wash. Ent. Soc. Proc. 40: 94. 



Type host. — Aplodontia paciflca Merr. (mountain beaver). 



Type locality. — Delake, Oreg. 



Range. — Known only from Oregon and Washington. 



This unusual flea is readily identified by the lack of clear differen- 

 tiation of the antepygidial bristles. The species is of medium size, 

 the length of the male being 1.8 mm. and that of the female 2.7 mm. 



