Fleas (Siphonaptera: Pygiopsyllomorpha) of Papua New Guinea and Papua Province (Indonesia). Part V. Astivalius, idiochaetis, muesebeckella, and Obtusifrontia (Stivaliidae: Stivaliinae), with Description of Six New Species

Abstract

ABSTRACT The genera Astivalius Smit, 1953, and Obtusifrontia, Holland, 1969 endemic to Papua Province, Indonesia, and Astivalius, Idiochaetis Jordan, 1937, Muesebeckella Traub, 1969, and Obtusifrontia, endemic to Papua New Guinea, are reviewed as a continuation of the study of fleas in the Robert Traub flea collection deposited in the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, PA. This paper (Part V) is an extension of previous studies by Hastriter (2012), Hastriter and Easton (2013, Part I, Striopsylla), Hastriter (2014, Part II, Nestivalius, Orthopsylloides, and Parastivalius), Hastriter (2015, Part III, Traubia), and Hastriter (2016, Part IV, Rectidigitus). Prior to the current study, Astivalius and Idiochaetis were each comprised of one species (A. microphthalmus Smit, 1953, and I. illustris Jordan, 1937), Muesebeckella of two species (Mu. mannae Traub, 1969, and Mu. nadi Traub, 1969), and Obtusifrontia of three species (O. falcata Mardon, 1978b, O. simplex Holland, 1969, and O. simula Mardon, 1978b). The female of A. microphthalmus Smit, 1953, is described for the first time and the previously known distribution of this species is expanded from Papua Province, Indonesia to the western fringes of Papua New Guinea (Sandaun Province). The female of O. simplex is also described for the first time and its geographical distribution is expanded to two additional provinces (Southern Highlands and Western Highlands provinces, Papua New Guinea). An additional three new species of Astivalius, one new species each of Idiochaetis, Muesebeckella, and Obtusifrontia are described herein (A. archboldi, n. sp., A. mirzai, n. sp., A. toxopeusi, n. sp., I. rogersi, n. sp., Mu. niobiensis, n. sp., and O. comohamulus, n. sp.). With the description of six new species, the total number of species in the superfamily Pygiopsylloidea in Papua Province, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea (including Bismarck Archipelago) and the Solomon Islands is 111. An additional eight species belonging to three other flea families (Ischnopsyllidae (3), Pulicidae (3), and Leptopsyllidae (2) bring the total number of flea taxa to 119 species (including subspecies). Keys to the species of Astivalius, Idiochaetis, Muesebeckella, and Obtusifrontia are provided.