Stenoponia ponera Traub and Johnson, 1952

Hastriter, Michael W., Haas, Glenn E. & Wilson, Nixon, 2006, New distribution records for Stenoponia americana (Baker) and Stenoponia ponera Traub and Johnson (Siphonaptera: Ctenophthalmidae) with a review of records from the Southwestern United States, Zootaxa 1253, pp. 51-59 : 56-57

Stenoponia ponera Traub and Johnson, 1952

During examination of S. americana material from the BYU collection, three S. ponera females were discovered that were incorrectly assigned to S. americana . Their distribution was extralimital to known records. Only two records of S. ponera Traub and Johnson have been documented in the United States. These include 12 specimens described by Traub and Johnson (1952) 11.3 km north of Pinos Altos, 2104 m (Pinos Altos Range), Grant County, New Mexico and six specimens reported by Beer, et al. (1959) from the Chiricahua Mountains, between Onion Gap and Rustlers Park, 2968 m, Cochise County, Arizona.

Material examined

ARIZONA. Apache County: foothills of White Mountains (Apache National Forest), Eagar, 5.2 km S, 11.3 km W (South Fork Campground), Ponderosa pines ( Pinus ponderosa Laws. ), 2310 m, P. m a n i c u l a t u s, 21.IX.1989, N. Wilson, 1 female (GEH). Cochise County: Chiricahua Mountains, Portal, Peromyscus boylii (Baird, 1855) , 24.XII.1961, J.L. Mumford, 1 female (NW); same data except 4.7 km SW Portal, Cave Creek Canyon (north facing slope), 1590 m, 22.III.1992, N. Wilson, 1 female (NW); same data except 12.8 km W Portal, Barfoot Peak rockslide (south facing slope), mixed conifers, quaking aspen ( Populus tremuloides Michx. ), Gambel oak ( Quercus gambelii Nutt. ), and New Mexican locust ( Robinia neomexicana A. Gray ), 2560 m, P. maniculatus , 25.XI.1989, G.E. Haas, 1 female, (GEH); same data except 2525 m, P. b o y l i i (2), 21, 22.X.1994, 1 female on one host and 4 males, 1 female on the other (GEH); 13 km W Portal, Rustler Park, 2597 m, P. maniculatus , 24.XI.1989, G.E. Haas, 3 males, 1 female (GEH). San Simon Valley, San Simon, 31 km N Portal, ~ 1128 m, P. maniculatus , 21.X.1977 (ACS 183), A.C. Simon, 1 male (NW); Portal, P. boylii , XIII.1957, J. Beer, 1 male ( UMINN), Portal, 2440 m, P. maniculatus , XIII.1957, J. Beer, 2 females ( UMINN). The only data on two slides was “Ariz” and a collection code: 13­3 and 13­16 (2 females) ( BYU). COLORADO. Montezuma County: Chapin Mesa, SW of Far View Ruins, Mesa Verde National Park, 2271–2317 m, P. t r u e i and P. maniculatus , 13, 14.X.1961, C.L. Douglas (field #5906, #5907), 2 females ( BYU); same data as #5906 except area between East Ruins Loop Road and Soda Can, 2096–2111 m, 10.I.1962 (#5915), 1 female ( BYU). TEXAS. Brewster County: Big Bend National Park, 1738–2140m, Peromyscus pectoralis Osgood , 2.XI.1963, V.J. Tipton et al., 4 males, 2 females ( BYU).

Remarks

We confirmed several specimens cited by Beck (1966) and Douglas (1969) from Mesa Verde National Park as S. ponera , thus validating a northern extension of the species range from the type locality by 480 km. It should be noted that not only were the Mesa Verde National Park specimens of S. ponera taken from the same locality as S. americana , but one female (field #5906) of each species was collected from the same host animal. Texas records also constitute a new state record for S. ponera . This would suggest that the associated habitats for these two species in montane environments are similar. Beer et al. (1959) noted that their specimens were collected in a Douglas fir­yellow pine habitat, while there was no discussion of habitat characteristics in the original description.