Overview
This family is world-wide and is represented in Australia by 5 genera and 18 species. Five species are cosmopolitan, associated with man and his domestic or commensal animals (e.g. cat, dog, rat and human fleas), and one,
Spilopsyllus
cuniculi
, the European rabbit flea, was deliberately introduced as a potential vector of myxomatosis. Only 12 species belonging to two genera
Xenopsylla
and
Echidnophaga
are indigenous.
Xenopsylla
spp. occur on native rats.
Echidnophaga
spp. occur on a wide range of hosts; 4 are especially associated with the 3 species of wombats.