Siphonaptera of Canada

Abstract

There are currently 154 species of fleas recorded in Canada in four superfamilies and seven families. Only two species have been added to the list since the previous summary by Holland (1979) one of which is unlikely to be established in Canada. There have been a number of significant nomenclatural changes since then most notable of which is the split of the Hystrichopsyllidae into two families Hystrichopsyllidae and Ctenophthalmidae. An additional 23 species may eventually be recorded based on presence of suitable hosts and proximity to known distributions. Six species are introduced and one species is adventive. Although total diversity is reasonably well known there are numerous gaps in distribution of fleas throughout the country. Barcode Index Numbers are available for only 22 species of fleas collected in Canada.