''Hectopsylla'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...
of
flea
Flea, the common name for the order Siphonaptera, includes 2,500 species of small flightless insects that live as external parasites of mammals and birds. Fleas live by ingesting the blood of their hosts. Adult fleas grow to about long, a ...
s in the family
Hectopsyllidae
Hectopsyllidae is a small family (biology), family of fleas, containing only the chigoe flea ''Tunga penetrans'' and the genus ''Hectopsylla''. They were formerly known as Tungidae, and by authorities that demote the Pulicoidea to family taxonomi ...
that
parasitize
Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson ha ...
non-volant mammals, birds, and bats. The genus comprises thirteen species, six of which were described in whole or part by
Karl Jordan between 1906–1942. Two of the species in ''Hectopsylla'', ''H. psittaci'' and ''H. pulex'', go under common names, with ''H. psittaci'' identified as the sticktight flea and ''H. pulex'' identified as the chiggerflea. Hastritter and Méndez (2000) consider the genus ''Rhynchopsyllus'' a junior system of the genus.
Taxonomy
Hastritter and Méndez (2000) state that ''Rhynchopsyllus'' is a junior system of ''Hectopsylla''. The
type species
In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specimen( ...
, by
monotypy
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispe ...
, is ''H. psittaci''.
Species
There are thirteen species in the genus ''Hectopsylla''.
*''Hectopsylla broscus''
(Jordan & Rothschild, 1906)
''H. broscus'' is described as similar to ''H. coniger'', but the bristles of the head are longer, with the proportion of the second segment of the maxillary
palpus
Pedipalps (commonly shortened to palps or palpi) are the second pair of appendages of chelicerates – a group of arthropods including spiders, scorpions, horseshoe crabs, and sea spiders. The pedipalps are lateral to the chelicerae ("jaws") and ...
to the fourth segment being 7:11 in ''H. broscus'' and 8:10 in ''H. coniger''. The angle of its
frons
Insect morphology is the study and description of the physical form of insects. The terminology used to describe insects is similar to that used for other arthropods due to their shared evolutionary history. Three physical features separate insec ...
were described as strongly rounded. In the thorax, the
metasternite and pro-processes are narrower, with the meta-thoracic
epimerum having three bristles, but rarely four or two. The
tarsi of the legs are longer than in ''H. coniger'', with the fifth segment especially being longer. Separate from a vertical row of bristles near the eighth
tergite
A ''tergum'' (Latin for "the back"; plural ''terga'', associated adjective tergal) is the dorsal ('upper') portion of an arthropod segment other than the head. The anterior edge is called the 'base' and posterior edge is called the 'apex' or 'mar ...
were three or four additional bristles, with the additional bristles not present in ''H. coniger''. A series of twelve female specimen of ''H. broscus'' were found on
Humboldt's hog-nosed skunk
Humboldt's hog-nosed skunk (''Conepatus humboldtii''), also known as the Patagonian hog-nosed skunk, is a type of hog-nosed skunk indigenous to the open grassy areas in the Patagonian regions of South Argentina
Argentina (), officially ...
''Conepatus humboldtii'' in
Central Pampa, Argentina, in or prior to 1906.
*''Hectopsylla coniger''
(Jordan & Rothschild, 1906)
The species can be recognized by the fifth tarsal segment over both sexes, the sexual organs of the male, and the
metathoracical epimerum of the female, which is curved. On the head, the frons of the female is "strongly angulate", with the male frons rounded strongly. The metathorax's
episternum
An interclavicle is a bone which, in most tetrapods, is located between the clavicles. Therian mammals (marsupials and placentals) are the only tetrapods which never have an interclavicle, although some members of other groups also lack one. In the ...
produces into a triangular process in both sexes. In number, the bristles on its legs are fewer than that of ''H. psittaci'', and its hind femur is shorter than ''H. psittaci''. One male specimen and fourteen female specimen were collected from the
hog-nosed skunk
The hog-nosed skunks belong to the genus ''Conepatus'' and are members of the family Mephitidae (skunks). They are native to the Americas. They have white backs and tails and black underparts.
Species
Extinct species
†''Conepatus robustus ...
''Conepatus arequipae'' in Pampa Olliga,
Bolivia
, image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg
, flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center
, flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...
, in October 1901.
*''Hectopsylla cypha''
(Jordan, 1942)
''H. cypha'' was first described by
Karl Jordan in 1942.
*''Hectopsylla eskeyi''
(Jordan, 1933)
''H. eskeyi'' was first described by Jordan in 1933.
*''Hectopsylla gemina''
(Jordan, 1939)
''H. gemina'' was first described by Jordan in 1939.
*''Hectopsylla gracilis''
(Mahnert, 1982)
''H. gracilis'' was first described based on a collection of specimen from ''
Eligmodontia typus
''Eligmodontia typus'' is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in Argentina and possibly also Chile. The northernmost population might represent a distinct species, ''E. bolsonensis'', to which the common name highland ge ...
'' as well as collection from unidentified rodents from
Puerto Madryn
Puerto Madryn (; cy, Porth Madryn), also known as ''Madryn'', is a city in the province of Chubut in Argentine Patagonia. It is the capital of the Viedma Department, and has about 93,995 inhabitants according to the last census in 2010.
Puerto ...
,
Chubut Province
Chubut ( es, Provincia del Chubut, ; cy, Talaith Chubut) is a province in southern Argentina, situated between the 42nd parallel south (the border with Río Negro Province), the 46th parallel south (bordering Santa Cruz Province), the Andes ran ...
, Argentina; its name derives from the slender process of its metepimeron. The species can be identified by a short, broadly triangular
maxillary
Maxillary means "related to the maxilla (upper jaw bone)". Terms containing "maxillary" include:
* Maxillary artery
*Maxillary nerve
In neuroanatomy, the maxillary nerve (V) is one of the three branches or divisions of the trigeminal nerve, ...
, with a short
genal
Oxyphenbutazone is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) are members of a therapeutic drug class which reduces pain, decreases inflammation, decreases fever, and prevents blood clots. Side eff ...
lobe and, normally, four bristles on its metepimeron. ''H. gracilis''
keys
Key or The Key may refer to:
Common meanings
* Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm
* Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock
* Key (ma ...
near ''H. ekeyi'', ''H. suarezi'', and ''H. cypha''. It is differentiated from those species by its metepimeron, the shorter process of its lateral
metanotal area, and the number of bristles on its abdominal
terga
A ''tergum'' (Latin for "the back"; plural ''terga'', associated adjective tergal) is the dorsal ('upper') portion of an arthropod segment other than the head. The anterior edge is called the 'base' and posterior edge is called the 'apex' or 'mar ...
. The species has been observed on ''
Akodon caenosus
''Akodon caenosus'' is a rodent in the genus ''Akodon'' found in northwestern Argentina and south-central Bolivia. Since its description in 1918, it has been alternatively classified as a separate species or a subspecies of ''Akodon lutescens'' ( ...
''.
*''Hectopsylla knighti''
(Traub & Gammons, 1950)
Its description was based on a sole female specimen taken from an unknown species of
swift
Swift or SWIFT most commonly refers to:
* SWIFT, an international organization facilitating transactions between banks
** SWIFT code
* Swift (programming language)
* Swift (bird), a family of birds
It may also refer to:
Organizations
* SWIFT ...
in
Michoacán
Michoacán, formally Michoacán de Ocampo (; Purépecha: ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Michoacán de Ocampo ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán de Ocampo), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Federal Entities of ...
, Mexico.
''H. knighti'' was the first species in ''Hectopsylla'' to be described outside of South America.
*''Hectopsylla narium''
(Blank et al., 2007)
The species was found on 204 of 308 nestlings of the
burrowing parrot
The burrowing parrot (''Cyanoliseus patagonus''), also known as the burrowing parakeet or the Patagonian conure, is a species of parrot native to Argentina and Chile. It belongs to the monotypic genus ''Cyanoliseus'', with four subspecies that a ...
''Cyanoliseus patagonus patagonus'' observed near ,
Río Negro Province
Río Negro (, ''Black River'') is a province of Argentina, located in northern Patagonia. Neighboring provinces are from the south clockwise Chubut, Neuquén, Mendoza, La Pampa and Buenos Aires. To the east lies the Atlantic Ocean.
Its c ...
,
Patagonia
Patagonia () refers to a geographical region that encompasses the southern end of South America, governed by Argentina and Chile. The region comprises the southern section of the Andes Mountains with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and ...
. "Freshly-emerged" ''H. narium'' adults can jump up to horizontally, and vivaciously crawl. Once anchored on skin of the host, females of the species become
sessile
Sessility, or sessile, may refer to:
* Sessility (motility), organisms which are not able to move about
* Sessility (botany), flowers or leaves that grow directly from the stem or peduncle of a plant
* Sessility (medicine), tumors and polyps that ...
. Males of the species were observed in the nostrils of the burrowing parrot, but never feeding on nestlings; males and females mated in nasal cavities. The presence of the species in nasal cavities effectuated breathing difficulties in the parrot. Females stuck on nestlings until their death.
*''Hectopsylla pascuali''
(Beaucournu and Alcover, 1990)
''H. pascuali'' was first described in a 1989 paper that examined 973 fleas from
Neuquén Province, Argentina. One male and four females were recorded, with three females taken from the
Andean long-clawed mouse
''Chelemys macronyx'', also known as the Andean long-clawed mouse or Andean long-clawed akodont,Musser and Carleton, 2005, p. 1110 is a species of rodent in the genus '' Chelemys'' of family Cricetidae. It is native to Argentina and Chil ...
''Chelemys macronyx'' in
Arroyo Chapelco.
*''Hectopsylla psittaci''
(von Frauenfeld, 1860)
''H. psittaci'' is also referred to by the common name "stick-tight flea" or "sticktight flea". The flea has been observed from northern Chile on
Markham's storm petrel
Markham's storm petrel (''Hydrobates markhami'') is a species of storm petrel in the family Hydrobatidae. An all-black to sooty brown seabird, Markham's storm petrel is difficult to differentiate from the black petrel ''Procellaria parkinsoni'' i ...
''Hydrobates markhami'' to
Marin County, California
Marin County is a county located in the northwestern part of the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 262,231. Its county seat and largest city is San Rafael. Marin County is across ...
on the
American cliff swallow
The cliff swallow or American cliff swallow (''Petrochelidon pyrrhonota'') is a member of the passerine bird family Hirundinidae, the swallows and martins. The generic name ''Petrochelidon'' is derived from Ancient Greek ''petros'' meaning "roc ...
''Petrochelidon pyrrhonota''; based on their age, the American cliff swallows on which the fleas were found had migrated at least once from their winter range in Uruguay, central Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil, which lead the authors to state their presence might have been a natural introduction of the flea to California.
''H. psittaci'' was found on
shama and
dhyal birds in the
London Zoological Gardens
London Zoo, also known as ZSL London Zoo or London Zoological Gardens is the world's oldest scientific zoo. It was opened