Hectopsylla (Hectopsylla) gracilis Mahnert, 1982

Berrizbeitia, M. Fernanda Lopez, Sanchez, R. Tatiana, Barquez, Ruben M. & Diaz, M. Monica, 2017, An update on the distribution and nomenclature of fleas (Order Siphonaptera) of bats (Order Chiroptera) and rodents (Order Rodentia) from La Rioja Province, Argentina, ZooKeys 678, pp. 139-154 : 139-140

Hectopsylla (Hectopsylla) gracilis Mahnert

Distribution in Argentina.

Chubut, Jujuy, La Rioja, Mendoza, Neuquén, Río Negro, and Salta ( López Berrizbeitia et al. 2013; Lareschi et al. 2016).

Material examined.

Arauco Department : (3) 2 km S Río de La Punta on provincial road 7 (28°45'28.8"S; 66°47'09.3"W), 996 m, G. chacoensis , 1.IX.2014, RTS (75), 1 ♂ CMLA (600). Castro Barros Department : (7) Anillaco, behind cemetery (28°48'49.04"S, 66°56'0.75"W), 1365 m Eligmodontia moreni (Thomas), 10.IX.2014, RTS (77), 2 ♀ CMLA (601, 602); (8) 800 m E Anillaco (28°48.572' S; 66°55.193' W), 780 m, Andalgalomys olrogi Williams and Mares, 17.IV.2012,CML (9747), 4 ♀ CMLA (594, 595, 596, 597); G. chacoensis , 17.IV.2012, CML (9748), 1 ♀ CMLA (593); Eligmodontia typus F. Cuvier, 18.IV.2012, CML (9751), 2 ♀ CMLA (598, 599) ( López Berrizbeitia et al. 2013) .

Remarks.

This species can be distinguished from all other species of the genus by the following characters: in males, the median lobe of distal portion of sternum IX is enlarged with a concavity at the ventral margin, the apical margin of process of clasper is straight; in females the hilla is much narrower than width of bulga, the duct of spermatheca is connecting at cribriform area of bulga on ventral apical margin and the base of metatarsal claw do not present a sinus (see Hastriter and Mendez 2000). Hectopsylla (Hectopsylla) gracilis infesting E. moreni constitutes a new flea-host association; this result was expected since H. (H) gracilis has been collected on Eligmodontia hirtipes and E. typus ( Lareschi et al. 2016). All localities correspond to the Monte Desert of Mountains and Isolated Valleys eco-region.