title: Description of two new species of bat fleas of the genusAraeopsylla(Siphonaptera) from Kenya and Madagascar with notes on miscellaneous bat fleas.
abstract: The flea genusAraeopsyllaJordan and Rothschild, 1921 contains nine species distributed throughout the Palaearctic, Ethiopian and Oriental Regions primarily on mollosid bats. A new species of bat flea,Araeopsylla goodmani, is described. This new species is represented by three females collected from one male specimen of the mollosid batChaerephon jobimenaGoodman & Cardiff, 2004 from Fianarantsoa Province, Madagascar. A second new species,Araeopsylla smiti, is described from one male from the Rift Valley, Kenya. It was collected from the molossid batChaerephon bivittatus(Heuglin, 1861). This represents the first record ofAraeopsyllain Kenya. Previous records ofAraeopsyllain the Malagasy region includedAraeopsylla martialis(Rothschild, 1903) from Reunion Island and Madagascar. One hundred fifty-eight specimens (64♂, 94♀) ofAraeopsylla martialiswere collected from 67 specimens (flea intensity of 2.4 fleas per host) ofMormopterus jugularis(Peters, 1865) across three provinces of Madagascar (Fianarantosa, Toamasina, and Toliara).Mormopterus jugularisis clearly a common host forAraeopsylla martialis.Dampfia grahami grahami(Waterston, 1915) is also reported fromEptesicus matroka(Thomas & Schwann, 1905) which is the first record from this host species and the first time the genusDampfiahas been documented in Madagascar. AlthoughLagaropsylla consularisSmit, 1957 andLagaropsylla idaeSmit, 1957 have been reported in Madagascar previously,Mops leucostigmaAllen, 1918 is a new host record forLagaropsylla idae. The flea intensity ofLagaropsylla idae(64♂, 83♀) on 28 specimens ofMops leucostigmawas extremely high at 5.3 fleas per host. A key to the genusAraeopsyllais provided.
authors.affiliation: Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum, Brigham Young University, 290 MLBM, P.O. Box 20200, Provo, Utah 84602-0200, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Michael W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Hastriter
keywords: Araeopsylla goodmani; Araeopsylla smiti; Dampfia; Lagaropsylla; key