An Annotated Catalog of the Leiodidae (Coleoptera) of the Nearctic Region (Continental North America North of Mexico)
Author
Peck, Stewart B.
Author
Newton, Alfred F.
text
The Coleopterists Bulletin
2017
2017-06-27
71
2
211
258
http://dx.doi.org/10.1649/0010-065x-71.2.211
journal article
10.1649/0010-065X-71.2.211
1938-4394
5460664
Platypsyllidae
Ritsema, 1869b
:[38] [stem:
Platypsyll
-].
Type
genus:
Platypsyllus
Ritsema, 1869
.
Notes.
Worldwide, the subfamily contains only four genera:
Leptinus
Müller
with six Palearctic and three Nearctic species;
Leptinillus
Horn
with two Nearctic species;
Silphopsyllus
Olsufiev
with one Palearctic species; and
Platypsyllus
with one Holarctic species. The extreme flea- or louse-like modifications of
Platypsyllus
, for living in the fur of beaver, led to its original placement in a separate family and order. The platypsyllines may be allied with the
Cholevinae
and share derived family characters of
Leiodidae
, so they may be suitably placed as a subfamily of the
Leiodidae
(Lawrence and Newton 1982, 1995). The unusual biology and morphology of this small ectoparasitic subfamily has stimulated a disproportionate number of research publications.
Distribution.
Holarctic.
=
Leptinidae
LeConte, 1872: 802
[stem:
Leptin
-].
Type
genus:
Leptinus
Müller, 1817
.
Comment.
This family-group name has been attributed to
LeConte (1866)
in the literature. However,
Leconte (1866)
did not give a name to the implied new taxon, and therefore it is not available (Newton and Thayer (1992).
=Achreioptera
Westwood, 1869: 118
(as order; unavailable, not based on a genus; for
Platypsyllus
Westwood, 1869
, not Ritsema, 1869).
=
Platypsyllidae
LeConte, 1872: 799
.
Type
genus:
Platypsyllus
Ritsema, 1869
.