THE FLEAS OF NORTH AMERICA 15 



9. Front never greatly reduced, forming at least one-half of anterior 

 margin of head ; genae usually not greatly enlarged, and usually 



longest horizontally; eyes sometimes present 10 



Front greatly reduced, dorsal or anterodorsal in position, forming less 

 than one-half of anterior margin of head, possessing 1 or 2 pairs of 

 dermal pits and never more than a vestigial frontal tubercle ; genae 

 greatly enlarged, longest in a vertical or nearly vertical direction; 

 eyes vestigial or absent Leptopsyllinae Rothschild. 



10. Labial palpus with few segments (not over 8) ; cephalic comb seldom 



extending along both ventral margin of gena and anterior margin 



of antennal groove : H 



Labial palpus with many segments (more than 10) ; cephalic comb 

 extending along ventral margin of gena and anterior margin of 

 antennal groove; female with 2 receptacula seminis, 1 smaller than 

 the other. Found only in Tasmania Macropsyllinae Baker. 



11. Frontal tubercle or frontal notch present, although either or both may 



be vestigial; genal comb never with more than 6 spines. Small to 



medium-sized fleas Ctenophtlialminae Rothschild. 



Frontal tubercle and frontal notch absent; genal comb sometimes with 

 more than 6 spines. Medium-sized to giant fleas. 



Hystrichopsyllinae Tiraboschi. 



12. Mesepisternum separated from mesepimeron by an internal, vertical 



ridge 13 



Mesepisternum not separated from mesepimeron- -Pulicinae Tiraboschi. 



13. Fronto-epicranial suture indistinct or absent ; postantennal region of 



head but slightly, if at all, incrassate dorsally. 



Spilopsyllinae Oudemans. 

 Fronto-epicranial suture well developed ; postantennal region of head 

 dorsally incrassate; front considerably reduced, bringing fronto-genal 

 angle up almost to level of eyes. Found only in Africa. 



Chimaeropsyllinae, new subfamily. 



The Family Dolichopsyllidae Baker 



Head seldom divided into an anterior and a posterior part by presence of fronto- 

 epicranial groove. Genae not greatly enlarged and not divided by suture. Cephalic 

 combs absent. Forehead without helmet, seldom elongated, and always without 

 ventral flaps. Eyes either well developed, vestigial, or absent. Thorax not greatly 

 reduced ; thoracic terga taken together longer than abdominal tergum I. Typical 

 abdominal terga each with more than 1 transverse row of setae. Abdominal apical 

 spines frequently present but rarely numerous. Abdominal combs absent. 

 Females without a reduced number of abdominal spiracles, and when gravid not 

 greatly distended. 



This family contains four subfamilies, as follows : Vermipsyllinae, 

 Rhopalopsyllinae, Dolichopsyllinae, and Uropsyllinae. 



The subfamily Dolichopsyllinae was established by Baker (5, p. 127) 

 in 1905, and in 1909 Oudemans (59, p., 156) raised it to family rank, 

 attributing the family name to Baker. The family Ceratophyllidae 

 Rothschild (66, p. 58): based on Ceratophyllus Curtis, should be re- 

 garded as a synonym of Dolichopsyllidae. The family as here described 

 does not include the subfamily Ctenophtlialminae which was included 

 in it by Ewing (16, p. 166) in 1929. There is some doubt as to whether 

 this subfamily constitutes a natural group, but its genera can readily 

 be placed according to the arrangement given in this publication. 



The Subfamily VERMIPSYLLINAE Wagner 



Head not divided into an anterior and a posterior part by a frontoepicranial 

 groove. Frontal tubercle present. Eyes present or absent. Labial palpus long 

 and usually with more than 6 segments. Pronotal comb present in only 1 genus 

 (TrichapsyUoides). Antepygidial bristles absent, or very poorly differentiated. 

 Abdomen of gravid females sometimes considerably distended. 



