Eospilopsyllus Beaucournu & Perrichot

Perrichot, Vincent, Beaucournu, Jean-Claude & Velten, Jürgen, 2012, First extinct genus of a flea (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) in Miocene amber from the Dominican Republic, Zootaxa 3438, pp. 54-61 : 56

Eospilopsyllus Beaucournu & Perrichot , n. gen.

Type-species: Eospilopsyllus kobberti n. sp., by monotypy.

Diagnosis. The new genus has the typical habitus of spilopsyllines, viz. a heavily sclerotized oval body and a symmetrical, non-foliaceous antennal club. It is distinguished from all five genera known in the tribe Spilopsyllini by the absence of ctenidia combined with smaller eyes; the presence on frons of eight minute setae in a sinuous vertical row along the fronto-genal suture; the sub-lanceolate terminal segment of the maxillary palpus, with a posterior expansion around one-third of the length and a very acute tip; the legs with femoro-tibial joints each bearing one short and one long guard setae, the long one external on profemur, internal on meso and metafemur; the dorsal margin of tibiae bearing six notches for the insertion of bristles (shared with Spilopsyllus s. str., except species formerly in Cediopsylla ); five pairs of lateral plantar bristles on distitarsomeres (three pairs in Actenopsylla , four pairs in other genera), with penultimate bristles the shortest; a reduced opening between the tarsal claw and the basal lobe of ungues; and enlarged second abdominal sternite.

Etymology. The new genus-group name is a combination of the Greek prefix eos meaning "dawn" (as a reference to early, or ancient) and Spilopsyllus , the type-genus of Spilopsyllini .

Comments. The new genus can be recognized as a member of the Spilopsyllini by possession of antennae with a non-foliaceous, symmetrical club ( Hopkins & Rothschild 1953).