THE FLEAS OF NORTH AMERICA 75 



the family to Tiraboschi. Ctenopsyllidae Baker, 1905, and Typhlo- 

 ceratidae Oudemans, 1900, should be regarded as synonyms of Hystri- 

 chopsyllidae, as also Leptopsyllidae Rothschild, 1915. 



The family Hystrichopsyllidae, as here recognized, includes the 

 subfamily Ctenophthalminae, which had been previously included (16, 

 p. 166) in the Dolichopsyllidae. 



The Subfamily CTENOPHTHALMINAE Rothschild 



Head either divided or not divided by development of fronto-epicranial groove. 

 Front not greatly reduced, forming at least one-half of anterior margin of 

 head, and not dorsal in position. Frontal tubercle or frontal notch present, 

 although either or both may be vestigial. Gena seldom much enlarged and 

 longest in a horizontal direction. Eyes usually vestigial or absent. Labial 

 palpus with less than 9 segments. Cephalic comb seldom situated along both 

 ventral margin of gena and anterior margin of antennal groove, and never 

 with more than 6 spines. Hind coxae with or without a row or patch of 

 spinelets on inner surface. Abdomen with or without apical spines. 



Included in the subfamily are 21 genera, 11 of which are repre- 

 sented in the North American fauna. 



Ctenophthalminae was established by Rothschild (66, p. 77) in 

 1915, but the subfamily name as here used includes the genus Neop- 

 sylla Wagner, upon which the family Neopsyllidae Oudemans, 1909, 

 is based. The better known subfamily name Ctenophthalminae is 

 here retained, although it is not the oldest. 



The subfamily Ctenophthalminae is believed to represent a natural 

 group of genera and species, although according to the classification 

 of Oudemans (59, p. 155) some species would fall into the suborder 

 Integricipita, some into Fracticipita, while others could not with any 

 certainty be placed into either suborder. Largely because of the 

 difficulty in placing the genera and species of this subfamily properly 

 into the suborders of Oudemans, most recent workers have abandoned 

 his grouping of the families. However, the character he uses for 

 dividing the whole order into two suborders may be used to advantage 

 in defining certain families and subfamilies. 



Key to North American Genera of Ctenophthalminae 



1. Coxa III with a row or patch of spinelets on inner surface 2 



Coxa III without a row or patch of spinelets on inner surface 6 



2. Genal comb with only 2 spines 3 



Genal comb with 3 or more spines 4 



3. Plantar bristles of segment V of tarsi I and II all lateral 



Tamiophila Jordan 



Plantar bristles of first pair on segment V of tarsi I and II shifted 



ventrally ; segment V of tarsus III with only 4 pairs of plantar bristles 



Epitedia Jordan. 



4. Segment V of each tarsus with 6 pairs of lateral plantar bristles. 



Known only from California Actcnophthalmus Fox. 



Segment V of each tarsus with 4 or 5 pairs of lateral plantar bristles 5 



5. Upper sclerite of metepisternum fused with metanotum 



Micropsylla Dunn. 

 Upper sclerite of metepisternum separated from metanotum by in- 

 ternal chitinous ridge; metanotum sometimes fused with metepi- 

 meron Rectofrontia Wagner. 



6. Genal comb never with more than 4 spines 7 



Genal comb with 6 spines; segment V of tarsus III with 6 lateral 



plantar bristles; labial palpus with 8 segments. Known from Ore- 

 gon Paratyphloceras Ewing. 



