Spilopsyllus cuniculi1 01.jpg

Taxonomy: Order Siphonaptera (fleas)
Animal: Spilopsyllus cuniculi1 01.jpg
Sites: Skin
Comment:
Spilopsyllus cuniculi, the European rabbit flea found world-wide, including on cats in Australia (Sobey and Menzies 1969 Aust J Science 31: 404-406). This female flea is about 1 mm long, dark brown, laterally flattened, wingless with piercing-sucking mouthparts with broad mandibles and conspicuous serrations, genal comb is vertical, a pronotal comb and an angular head. Identification of flea species is determined by the shape of the head, presence or absence of genal and pronotal combs, eyes, internal rod on the mesothorax, bristles on hindcoxa etc. (see Pugh 1985 PhD thesis; Smart. 1943) see bibliography for details.

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