Thaumapsylla breviceps orientalis Smit, 1954

Hastriter, Michael W. & Bush, Sarah E., 2013, Description of Lentistivalius philippinensis, a new species of flea (Siphonaptera, Pygiosyllomorpha, Stivaliidae), and new records of Ascodipterinae (Streblidae) on bats and other small mammals from Luzon, The Philippines, ZooKeys 260, pp. 17-30 : 19-20

Thaumapsylla breviceps orientalis Smit, 1954

Material examined.

Philippines, Luzon Island, Aurora Province: Sitio Minoli, Municipality San Louis (15.680°N, 121.529°E), elev. 520m, Eonycteris robusta Miller (JAE2944), 12 VI 2009, K. Dittmar, (1♂, P2650); same except Eonycteris spelaea Dobson (JAE3021), 16 VI 2009 (1♀, P2766); same except Eonycteris spelaea (JAE3023) (1♀, P2770); same except Rousettus amplexicaudatus (JAE3027) (1♀, P2775); same except Eonycteris spelaea (JAE3040) (1♂, P2779); Luzon Island, Ilocos Norte Province, Adams village, Mt. Pao, (18.438°N, 120.878°E), elev. 750m, Rousettus amplexicaudatus (NCA049), 22 VI 2011, S. Villa, (2♀♀, P4196); Luzon Island, Ilocos Norte Province, Adams village, Mt. Cabacan, (18.449°N, 120.894°E), elev. 475m, Rousettus amplexicaudatus (NCA125), 30 VI 2011, S. Villa, (1♀, P4318); Luzon Island, Cagayan Province, Barangay Magrafil (closest city Gonzaga), Mt. Cagua, (18.219°N, 122.111°E), elev. 780m, Rousettus amplexicaudatus (JAC036), 11 VII 2011, S. Villa and S. Knutie, (1♂, P4496).

Remarks.

The two populations of Thaumapsylla breviceps are recognized ( Thaumapsylla breviceps breviceps Rothschild, 1907 and Thaumapsylla breviceps orientalis Smit, 1954). The nominate species is found in southern portions of Africa and the other in the Oriental and Australasian regions. Beaucournu and Kock (1994) provide a distributions map of Thaumapsylla breviceps orientalis . There has been some controversy regarding the validity of Thaumapsylla breviceps orientalis . Smit (1954) erected Thaumapsylla breviceps orientalis after studying material from both geographical regions and reported only one distinguishing character in males: the presence of a convex margin along the apex of the basimere in the nominate subspecies vs. a slight concavity along the margin in the other subspecies. He found no differences in females from the respective regions and considered them indistinguishable. All three males examined in our study present a distinct concavity in the apex of the basimere. Females are identified based only on geographic distribution. Material reported by Hastriter and Bush (2010) as " Thaumapsylla breviceps Rothschild", belong to Thaumapsylla breviceps orientalis Smit, 1954. These two subspecies parasitize fruit bats of the genus Rousettus in both regions. Although Thaumapsylla breviceps orientalis was found on four Rousettus and four Eonycteris bats, the prevalence of this flea was highest on Rousettus bats. Of 11 Rousettus specimens examined, 36% harbored this flea, whereas only 18% of the 22 specimens of Eonycteris were infested.

None of the three species on which Thaumapsylla breviceps orientalis occurred represent new host records.