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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Fleas (Siphonaptera) » Ceratophyllidae » Orchopeas » Squirrel Flea (Orchopeas howardi)
Photo#487792
squirrel flea - Orchopeas howardi
Copyright © 2011 tom murray

squirrel flea - Orchopeas howardi
Groton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA
January 30, 2011
Size: 2mm
I took a mouse nest out of one of my bird nest boxes, and found about 200 of these fleas in it. It must be one of the rodent fleas in the Ceratophyllidae. I collected about 10 of the fleas, so if anyone can identify them, I'd be happy to ship them out.
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Contributed by tom murray on 30 January, 2011 - 5:47pm
Last updated 7 February, 2011 - 6:22pm

Moved
Moved from Fleas.
… v belov, 7 February, 2011 - 1:43pm login or register to post comments

Orchopeas howardii (squirrel flea)
This keys out to Orchopeas howardii (squirrel flea), although the key I used was not inclusive of all North American fleas. Key features are:

-presence of pronotal but not genal combs
-two rows of setae on abdominal segments
-palps not reaching front trochanter
-segment of tarsus 5 on hind leg bering one pair of basal, ventral bristles and four pairs of lateral plantar bristles.

I will not create a page or move this species, because I am not up on Siphonaptera taxonomy, but it is safe to do if you want to look into it.

Tom, I am going to email two laboratory images of one of the fleas. One is the whole flea and the other is the head showing the characteristics of the bristles and mouthparts. I suggest linking them to these images, if you'd like.
… Blaine Mathison, 7 February, 2011 - 1:14pm login or register to post comments

 
Great work Blaine!!!
Maybe the nest in the bird box was a flying squirrel nest. It was empty when I took the nest out of the box.
Is there one or two "i" at the end of the species name?
… tom murray, 7 February, 2011 - 6:13pm login or register to post comments

 
iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
(1) uses one
… v belov, 7 February, 2011 - 6:22pm login or register to post comments

 
I'd use that one over the one
I'd use that one over the one I did...LOL
… Blaine Mathison, 7 February, 2011 - 6:23pm login or register to post comments

 
'howardii'
corrected on BG, thanks.
… Blaine Mathison, 7 February, 2011 - 6:21pm login or register to post comments

hey Tom
send them my way; we have references and experts that may help ID.
… Blaine Mathison, 30 January, 2011 - 6:22pm login or register to post comments

nice. rare guest on BG pages...
… v belov, 30 January, 2011 - 6:22pm login or register to post comments

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