THE FIRST RECORD OF THE GENUS SMITIPSYLLA FROM CHINA WITH DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SPECIES (SIPHONAPTERA: CERATOPHYLLIDAE)

Abstract

The genus Smitipsylla Lewis, 1971 is kown only 2 species in record. In this paper a new species is described which was collected from Yunnan Province in 1983, and this is the first record of Smitipsylla from China.Smiiipsylla quadrata sp. nov.(figs. 1-8)Diagnosis: The male of this new species allied to S. maseri Lewis, 1971 but readily separable from the latter by the important characters: 1) the st. Ⅷ obviously contracted; 2) the immovable process of clasper wide and short, near quadrate (hence the new species is named); 3) the movable process of clasper with sharp ante-dorsal angle but without clear post-dorsal angle, the sinus of posterior margin (below uppermost a spiniform) very shallow; 4) the distal arm of st. Ⅸ only with very shallow an apical sinus, its ventral dilation rounder, and farther apart the elbow.female unknown.Record: Holotype ♂ (length 3.9mm), off Petaurista albiventer yunnanensis, collected in April, 19S3 from Mt. Gaoligong (elevation 1620m), Tengchong County (25°N, 98.5°E), West-Yunnan Province, China. The type specimen is deposited in Research Institute of Epidemic of Yunnan Province.