16 MISC. PUBLICATION 5 00, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



The subfamily Vermipsyllinae contains four genera, all but the 

 type genus being represented in the North American fauna, 



The subfamily dates from 1889, when it was established by Wagner 

 (77, p. 205) . It has been recognized as a family by Dalla Torre (10, p. 

 18) in his catalog of the fleas, and likewise by Wagner (80, p. 39) 

 in the latter 's catalog of Palaearctic Siphonaptera. _ In the structure 

 of the head Vermipsyllinae has much in common with Pulicidae, but 

 the characters of the body proper ally it with the Dolichopsyllidae. 



Key to the North American Genera of Vermipsyllinae 



1. Pronotal comb absent ; eyes present 2 



Pronotal comb present ; eyes absent. Known only from tbe western part 

 of the United States Trichopsylloides Ewing. 



2. Labial palpus with less than 7 segments Chaetopsylla Kohaut. 



Labial palpus with 7 to 10 segments Arctopsylla Wagner. 



The Genus Chaetopsylla Kohaut 



(Fig. 4, E) 



Chaetopsylla Kohaut, 1903, Allattani Kozlemenyek 2 : 37. Type, Chaetopsylla 

 rothschildi Kohaut (by subsequent designation). 



Frontal tubercle small to vestigial, not angulate but buttonlike. Antennal 

 club either rounded or somewhat pointed at apex. Eyes somewhat reduced, 

 poorly pigmented near center. Labial palpus short, with less than 7 segments. 

 Postantennal region of head with 2 or 3 oblique rows of setae. Pronotal comb 

 absent. Upper sclerite of metepisternnm separated from metanotum by an inner 

 pigmented ridge. Metepimeron somewhat reduced and sometimes anchylosed to 

 some extent with upper sclerite of metepisternum. Abdomen of female with 

 somewhat enlarged spiracles and when gravid sometimes considerably distended. 

 Antepygidial bristles absent (not differentiated). Sternum VIII of male large, 

 broad, practically undifferentiated ; sternum IX of male narrowed, elongated, 

 considerably modified. 



The name Trichopsylla frequently has been used instead of Chaetop- 

 sylla Kohaut, the latter being considered as a synonym of the former. 

 But according to the rules of nomenclature there is apparently no 

 justification for such usage. The type species of Trichopsylla 

 Kolenati was first selected by Baker (4, p. 371) in 1904 as 

 penicilliger Grube. Jordan and Rothschild (50, p. 63) in 1920 

 pointed out that Kolenati, when he established the genus 

 Trichopsylla, had misidentified penicilliger Grube, one of the in- 

 cluded species, and stated that — 



His penicilliger has no pronotal comb and therefore is not penidUiffer Grube; 

 from the descriptions of the genus and the species it is evident that the species 

 erroneously identified as penicilliger is a Vennipsylla. 



Hence Jordan reduced Vermipsylla Schimk. to synonymy with Tri- 

 chopsylla Kolenati. At the same time Chaetopsylla Kohaut and On- 

 copsylla Wahlgren were sunk as synonyms of Trichopsylla. 



Wagner (80, p. 39) in 1930 did not accept this synonymy but claimed 

 that Chaetopsylla Kohaut was a valid genus. He identified penicilliger 

 Grube as a species of Ceratophyllus Curtis, and stated that the system- 

 atic position of the species Kolenati identified as penicilliger Grube 

 was unknown. It was identified by Jordan (lfi % p. 293) in 1932 as 

 Trichopsylla homoeus Rothschild and listed as the genotype of Tri- 

 chopsylla Kolenati. Again Jordan sunk Oncopsylla Wahlgren and 

 Chaetopsylla Kohaut as synonyms of Trichopsylla. 



