Musserellus gen. nov., and Five New Species of Fleas (Siphonaptera: Stivaliidae) From Murid Rodents in Sulawesi and West Papua, Indonesia

A new stivaliid flea genus, Musserellus, and five new species are described. The new genus is compared with its closest morphological relatives, the genera Rectidigitus Holland and Metastivalius Holland. Musserellus vanpeeneni sp. nov., Musserellus wattsi sp. nov., Musserellus whitei sp. nov., and Musserellus marshalli sp. nov. are described from endemic murid rodents in Sulawesi, Indonesia, while Musserellus dunneti sp. nov. is described from Rattus rattus in West Papua, Indonesia. Host associations and the biogeographical relevance of the faunal connection between Sulawesi and New Guinea shown by Musserellus are briefly discussed.
Source: Journal of Medical Entomology - Category: Biology Authors: Tags: Morphology, Systematics, Evolution Source Type: research