Corresponding author: M. Fernanda López-Berrizbeitia (
Academic editor: Pavel Stoev
A new species of flea of the genus
Una nueva especie de pulga del género
López-Berrizbeitia MF, Hastriter MW, Barquez RM, Díaz MM (2015) A new flea of the genus
Biodiversity surveys of birds and small mammals were conducted in the Monte desert of Mountains and Isolated Valleys, in Salta Province, Argentina between 1998 and 2001. Ectoparasites were collected and results of those collections will be published elsewhere at a later date; however, a single male specimen representing a new species of
Holotype: ♂,
The new species can be distinguished from all species of the genus by characteristics of the distal arm of S-IX and the clasper (basimere and telomere). These include the presence of a thick sclerotization along the dorsal margin of distal arm of S-IX (Fig.
Head (Figs
Thorax. Pronotum with comb of 23 ctenidia (both sides) preceded by three rows of setae; anterior row with three medium setae, middle with 8–9 medium setae, and main row of nine long setae plus intercalaries. Meso- and metanota with a main row of eight setae plus intercalaries (Fig.
Legs. Fore coxa with small setae scattered over surface, one distinct horizontal row of seven setae near apex, three stout anteroapical setae. Mesocoxa and hind coxa with small setae scattered on lower outer surface. Fore femora with 4–5 minute lateral setae and one long seta at femoro–tibial joint. Meso- and hind femoro–tibial joint with one short lateral and one long mesal seta. Margin of fore, meso- and hind tibiae with seven notches. Hind tibia bearing three setae (two long, one small) in penultimate notch. Long space between notch five and six, heavily sclerotized (Fig.
Unmodified Abdominal Segments. Ctenidial combs on terga II–V (T-II–V). The number of ctenidia on two sides as follows: T-II 18, T-III 20, T-IV 18, T-V 15 (Fig.
Modified Abdominal Segments. Sensilium with 18 sensilial pits. Dorsal anal lobe with three long thin setae; ventral with single long seta. (Fig.
Apex of P1 of basimere with oblique angle on the dorsocaudal margin with deep sub-tending sinus, manubrium with convex anterodorsal margin and apically narrowed. Telomere narrowing gradually to rounded apex. Distal arm of sternum nine (S-IX) distinctly widened apically, with five to six larger setae interspersed with smaller setae on apical margin; dorsal margin with broad marginal sclerotization (Fig.
Dimensions: Holotype male: 3.7 mm
The specific epithet is derived from the Latin term
The single male holotype was collected from a juvenile male specimen of the sigmodontine rodent,
Hosts of the five species of
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Cited as | Current Valid Name | Distribution | |
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Andes of Colombia, Ecuador, and northwestern Venezuela| |
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Order |
Order |
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Suborder |
Suborder |
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Family |
Family |
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Subfamily |
Subfamily |
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Northwestern Peru to northern Ecuador, from sea level to above 4900 m¶ |
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Elevation between 2400 and 2900 m in the Tachira Andes of western Venezuela and Cordillera Oriental near Bogotá, Colombia# |
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Colombia and northern portion of Sierra de Mérida, Trujillo State, Venezuela, 1000–4000 m†† | |||
Middle and high elevations in the northern and central Andes, including the Caribbean Coast Ranges and Mérida Andes of Venezuela; also in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia, 800–4265 m‡‡ |
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Coasts and mountains of southwestern Ecuador and southeastern Peru, above 2500 m†† |
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From Southern Peru to northwestern Argentina, along the eastern Altiplano and Andean slopes, 500–4000 m§§ | |||
Endemic of Venezuela, Andes of Mérida and Trujillo, mostly above 2000 m|| |
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Northwestern Peru, west of the Río Marañon, 1198 to 3100 m¶¶ |
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Cordillera Oriental, in eastern Colombia, and Cordillera de Mérida in western Venezuela¶¶ |
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Venezuelan Andes in the departments of Mérida and Trujillo, 2090–3550 m¶¶ |
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Mérida Andes of Venezuela (Tachira and Mérida States), 1990–3500 m¶¶ |
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Subfamily |
Subfamily |
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Andean cordilleras of Colombia and Ecuador to the south along and through the Pacific lowlands to northwestern Ecuador, 200–1300 m## |
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Suborder |
Suborder |
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Family |
Family |
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† Cited in
The type locality of
There have been far fewer species of fleas described from northwestern Argentina than other regions of the country (e.g. Patagonia; see
Distribution of the species of
Although females of
For identification of
1 | Ford’s sclerite of aedeagus curved down |
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– | Ford’s sclerite curved up |
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2 | P1 of basimere rounded at apex; dorsal margin of distal arm of S-IX without sclerotizations |
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– | P1 of basimere oblique at apex with deep sub-tending sinus; dorsal margin of distal arm with thick marginal sclerotization |
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3 | Lateral lobe of aedeagus extended into long narrow process |
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– | Lateral lobe not extended into narrow process, but forming a near right angle at apex |
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The field trip was funded by CIUNT (Centro de Investigaciones de la Universidad Nacional de Tucumán), CONICET, PID 4963; additional support was received from grants of Michael A. Mares from the National Science Foundation (DEB-9870184 and BSR 8906665) and the National Geographic Society (6520-9).