Combs represent important taxonomic features of fleas. Most observations of flea combs have been made for taxonomic purposes. Despite their importance in the effective lodging and survival of fleas, intraspecific numerical and structural variations in combs as presented below have not been previously reported. Few publications deal with this subject and usually only on an interspecific level. Humphries (1966, Ent. Mon. Mag. 102 : 232–36) observed the close relationship between the spacing of pronotal spines of certain fleas and the diameter of their host hair as relating to the effective flea-hair locking mechanism. Hopkins (1957, Int. Symp. Specif. Parasitol. Parasites Vert.: 64–87) related the number of pronotal spines of bird and mammal fleas to host and ecological adaptations. Traub & Barrera (1966, J. Med. Ent. 3 : 127–45) related differences in genal and pronotal combs of shrew and mole fleas to convergent evolution. Traub (1968, J. Med. Ent. 5 : 375–404) correlated the adaptive shape of the pronotal spines of fleas with phylogeny, vestiture and habits of the host. Traub (1972, J. Med. Ent. 9 : 601) observed that fleas of nocturnal arboreal mammals, like bird fleas, “tend to have an unusually large number” of pronotal spines and that hyperdevelopment of spines and combs is characteristic of fleas “which would have a difficult time finding a new host if dislodged”.