Echidna flea

The echidna flea (Bradiopsylla echidnae) is the larger of two species of flea commonly found on the short-beaked echidna. It is monotypic, that is, the only species in the genus[1][2]. This flea reaches 4 millimetres in length and has been claimed to be the world's largest flea[3]. This statement is in error as the world's largest flea is known to be the mountain beaver flea which can be as large as 12 millimetres in length[4].

Echidna flea
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Siphonaptera
Family:
Pygiopsyllidae
Genus:
Bradiopsylla
Species:
B. echidnae
Binomial name
Bradiopsylla echidnae
Denny, 1843

The echidna flea is found on short-beaked echidnas in southeastern Australia and Tasmania although echidnas are distributed more widely throughout Australiasia, and has not been recorded from New Guinea where other genera of echidna occur (Zaglossus and Tachyglossus)[2].The echidna flea has also been recorded once from a Tasmanian devil. [5]

The echidna flea has been used in several molecular studies as the outgroup for phylogenetic trees of cat and dog fleas.[6][7]

References
  1. Lewis RE (August 1974). "Notes on the geographical distribution and host preferences in the order Siphonaptera. 4. Coptopsyllidae, Pygiopsyllidae, Stephanocircidae and Xiphiopsyllidae". Journal of Medical Entomology. 11 (4): 403–13. doi:10.1093/jmedent/11.4.403. PMID 4424098.
  2. Dunnet GM, Nardon DK (1974). "A Monograph of Australian Fleas (Siphonaptera)". Australian Journal of Zoology Supplementary Series. 22 (30): 1–273. doi:10.1071/ajzs030.
  3. "Short-beaked Echidna | Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, Tasmania". dpipwe.tas.gov.au. Retrieved 2020-08-12.
  4. Yoon CK (2014-07-28). "The Great Giant Flea Hunt". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-08-12.
  5. Kwak ML, Madden C, Wicker L (2017). "The first record of the native flea Acanthopsylla rothschildi' Rainbow, 1905 (Siphonaptera: Pygiopsyllidae) from the endangered Tasmanian devil ('Sarcophilus harrisii' boitard, 1841), with a review of the fleas associated with the Tasmanian devil". Australian Entomologist. 44 (4): 293.
  6. Šlapeta Š, Šlapeta J (June 2016). "Molecular identity of cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis) from cats in Georgia, USA carrying Bartonella clarridgeiae, Bartonella henselae and Rickettsia sp. RF2125". Veterinary Parasitology, Regional Studies and Reports. 3–4: 36–40. doi:10.1016/j.vprsr.2016.06.005. PMID 31014497.
  7. Hii SF, Lawrence AL, Cuttell L, Tynas R, Abd Rani PA, Šlapeta J, Traub RJ (March 2015). "Evidence for a specific host-endosymbiont relationship between 'Rickettsia sp. genotype RF2125' and Ctenocephalides felis orientis infesting dogs in India". Parasites & Vectors. 8 (1): 169. doi:10.1186/s13071-015-0781-x. PMC 4369868. PMID 25884425.
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