42 THOMPSON YATES AND JOHNSTON LABORATORIES REPORT 
Family SARCOPSYLLIDAE 
Sarcopjyffidae Taschenberg, Die FlUe p. 43 (1880); Baker, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. XXV11. 
p. 373 (1904). 
Hectopsyllidae Baker, I.e. (1904). 
Rhvichoprionidae id., I.e. XXIX. p. 124 (1905). 
$ Frons longer than occiput, bearing usually two moderately long hairs, 
the upper one standing in front of the eye ; these hairs often reduced or even 
absent. Not more than nine bristles on each side of the occiput (2, 3, 4), usually 
less ; no row of short hairs along the antennal groove. No genal comb, but the 
post-oral angle of the gena produced downwards into a more or less curved trian- 
gular lobe. Eye present, but the pigment reduced or absent in Dermatophilus 
caecata. 
Antennal cavity open behind. Antenna the same in the sexes. The club 
segmented only on hinder side, bearing on this side a row of three hairs accompanied 
further downwards by a small fourth hair ; these hairs often reduced in size and 
number or completely lost. 
Mouth subterminal, the labrum and mandibles being directed obliquely forward. 
Labrum and mandibles broad, the latter heavily serrate. Maxilla triangular, obtuse 
or pointed. Maxillary palpus consisting of four segments, the first being as long 
as the second or longer. Rostrum very pale, almost transparent, being reduced in 
chitinization, but not in length ; consisting of two or three segments, including the 
basal unpaired labium, there being only one joint in the labial palpus. 
Thorax strongly reduced, the three tergites together shorter than the first 
abdominal tergite ; each tergite bearing one row of bristles, variable in number and 
length, mostly very small, the most ventral one of the pro- and mesothorax being 
the longest ; no combs. Pleural plate of prosternite usually produced posteriorly 
into a distinct obtuse conical lobe. Sternum and epimerum of mesosternite not 
separate, no internal incrassation indicating the meral suture ; hinder ventral edge of 
mesosternite produced into a lobe, which is variable in size. Episternum of meta- 
thorax large, bearing one small bristle, which is sometimes minute and often absent ; 
epimerum large, vertical, or so widened as to reach to the third abdominal segment, 
one vertical row of not more than six bristles, occasionally with one or two bristles 
in front of the row. 
One row of bristles on the abdominal tergites, containing on each side not more 
than five bristles, usually less, a second, anterior, row being vestigial in the $ $ on the 
first tergite ; one apical bristle on seventh tergite in Echidnophaga separate from apical 
edge, this bristle absent from Hectopsylla and Dermatophilus. 
Hind coxa widest near the base, produced into a truncate lobe anteriorly at the 
apex in Echidnophaga and Dermatophilus^ while in Hectopsylla the posterior femur is 
produced anteriorly above the subbasal sinus. 
