Classification of the flea families (Siphonaptera): II. Family Hystrichopsyllidae (Part 3)

Morphological characters and their diversity in the Afrotropical subfamilies Dinopsyllinae and Listropsyllinae, and the Holarctic subfamily Anomiopsyllinae are evaluated. Three centers had the major significance in the formation of the family Hystrichopsyllidae: the South American (extra-Caribbean), Afro-European, and North American and Asian ones. One more center may have been located in Australia but its fauna has become largely extinct or remains unknown. The origin of a number of tribes of the subfamilies Hystrichopsyllinae and Doratopsyllinae is associated with the South American center; the origin of subgenera of the subfamily Ctenophthalminae as well as the subfamilies Listropsyllinae and Dinopsyllinae, with the Afro-European center; and the origin of the subfamilies Neopsyllinae, Rhadinopsyllinae, Anomiopsyllinae, Stenoponiinae, and Liuopsyllinae, with the North American and Asian center. Distribution of the subfamilies Doratopsyllinae and Hystrichopsyllinae sheds light on the initial stages of formation of the family Hystrichopsyllidae.     

Classification of flea families (Siphonaptera): I. Family Hystrichopsyllidae (first part)

A contribution is made to the previously elaborated classification of the order Siphonaptera (Medvedev, 1994, 1998). Host-parasite associations, geographical distribution, and morphology of the family Hystrichopsyllidae (sensu Hopkins and Rothschild, 1962, 1966) in comparison with other flea families are analyzed together with a position of the family within the infraorder Hystrichopsyllomorpha. The presence of two spermathecae, frequently used as a taxonomic character, is a character insufficient for the basic phylogenetic reconstructions, e.g., establishment of close relationship between the families Coptopsyllidae and Macropsyllidae or the tribes Ctenopariini and Hystrichopsyllini, because this character is a plesiomorphy of the order Siphonaptera. The subfamily Hystrichopsyllinae (sensu Hopkins and Rothschild, 1962) is characterized by a large number of morphological features which can be considered as plesiomorphic characters of the family Hystrichopsyllidae as a whole. The subfamily Hystrichopsyllinae should be restricted to the tribes Ctenopariini and Hystrichopsyllini. The family Macropsyllidae possesses a unique structure of the ctenidia and some other structures. It should be treated as a group closely related to Hystrichopsyllidae. The family Coptopsyllidae demonstrates another trend in the evolution of the head, thorax, and abdomen.     

Classification of the flea families (Siphonaptera): II. Family Hystrichopsyllidae (part 2)

Morphology of the flea family Hystrichopsyllidae is considered. The subfamilies Stenoponiinae, Neopsyllinae, Doratopsyllinae, and Ctenophthalminae are distinguished. In all, 148 states of the characters of the head, thorax, modified abdominal segments, and aedeagus have been analyzed within the family Hystrichopsyllidae and the whole order Siphonaptera as well.     

Classification of the flea families (Siphonaptera): II. Family hystrichopsyllidae (Part 4)

Distribution of the ancestral, homoiologous, and convergent character states over the tagmata and morpho-functional complexes of the flea body in nine subfamilies of the Hystrichopsyllidae is analyzed. The analysis is based upon the states of 111 characters of 73 structures of 3 tagmata in the adult flea body. The homoiologous states (those arising in parallel in close flea infraorders) comprise 35%, the ancestral (the least specialized) ones, 16%, and the convergent ones, 13% of the total number of character states of all the 10 types. The greatest numbers of the ancestral character states in the Hystrichopsyllidae are found in the mesothorax (22.8%) and aedeagus (21.1%); the metathorax reveals 19.3%, and the head, 17.5% of the ancestral character states. The greatest number of homoiologous character states, 34.1% of the total number, is observed in the mesothoracal segment. Smaller fractions of the homoiologous character states are found in the head (24.6%) and metathorax (17.5%). Those character states which arise in the phylogenetically remote infraorders are considered convergent. The greatest number of convergent character states in the Hystrichopsyllidae (55.1%) is observed in the structure of the aedeagus.     

A new species of flea in the genus Ctenophthalmus (Siphonaptera: Hystrichopsyllidae)]

A new species, Ctenophthalmus (Euctenophthalmus) parthicus sp. n., is described from social vole (Microtus socialis Pallas) from four localities of the West Kopetdag Mountains of Turkmenia. The new species is close to C.(E.) secundus Wagner and C.(E.) congener nadimi Farhang-Azad. It differs from males of the other known species by the following characters. The movable process has an infra-acetabular process whose length is the same as the height of its supra-acetabular portion. The movable process has the straight front margin, right anterior apical angle. The anterior part of the dorsal margin of the movable process is elevated, the hind part is slightly concave. The posterior apical angle of the movable process is cut. The hind margin of the movable process is convex. The apex of the distal arm of sternum IX is straight, not oblique. The female differs by the following peculiarities. Sternum VII has a well developed dorsal lobe below which there is a smaller rounded lobe and a distinct small ventral process. Unciform sclerotization of tergum VIII (or the place of connection between tergum VIII and its internal lobe) resembles an arc. The front margin of the internal lobe of tergum VIII is not sclerotized. The bursa copulatrix is as long as the dorsal spines of pronotum.     

Susceptibility of the cat flea (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) to pyrethroids

Adult cat fleas, Ctenocephalides felis felis (Bouché), from two laboratory colonies (one originating in California and one from Florida) were exposed to residues of eight pyrethroids to compare their susceptibilities. The Florida strain was more tolerant than the California strain, with 6.8-, 5.2-, and 4.8-fold tolerance to cyfluthrin, cypermethrin, and fluvalinate, respectively. The Florida strain showed less than 3-fold tolerance to the other five insecticides (permethrin, tralomethrin, d-phenothrin, resmethrin, and fenvalerate). Overall, the pyrethroids were ineffective against the Florida strain.     

蚤雌雄同体畸形一例(昆虫纲:蚤目)

报道蚤雌雄同体畸形一例。     

Water uptake in the cat flea Ctenocephalides felis (Pulicidae: Siphonaptera)

To counteract water loss due to excretion, cuticular transpiration and respiration, various groups of arthropods have developed mechanisms for active uptake of water vapor from unsaturated air. In this study, active uptake capabilities and water loss rates were examined in the various developmental stages of the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis. To determine critical equilibrium humidity, the lowest relative humidity at which active water uptake can occur, pre-desiccated immature and adult fleas were placed in a series of humidity regimes ranging from 44 to 93% RH. Active uptake occurred in larval stages at relative humidities above 53% and in pre-pupae at 75-93% RH. Pupae and adults did not demonstrate active uptake at any humidity. Optimal uptake for larvae occurred between 20 and 30 degrees C. When placed over Drierite (<10% RH), larval and adult stages demonstrated a higher rate of water loss than pre-pupal and pupal stages. Active water uptake is necessary to ensure proper development of the larvae of C. felis. Active uptake ceases after the larval-pupal ecdysis and it appears that adults have lost the ability to actively uptake water.     

朝鲜叉蚤种下分类的商榷(蚤目:多毛蚤科)

该文系统回顾和分析了朝鲜叉蚤DoratopsyllacoreanaDarskaya,1949的亚种形态和分类,结果表明:(1)朝鲜叉蚤的亚种♂抱器在长与宽之比上均存在较宽幅度变异,这种变异往往也与制片有关,在通常情况下,标本在薄压和没有薄压的条件下作对比,二者形态有很大差异,因此不能单纯用抱器长与中部宽之比来作为种间分类指标;(2)蚤类可动突与不动突,平时都当作一种“硬部位”来对待,而属于“软部位”诸如阳茎钩突和雌蚤受精囊管等,这些器官在压片时往往方向、形状都会出现差异和偏位。70年代以来,雄蚤阳茎钩突的形状在蚤类种间或种下分类中起到了比较重要的辅助作用,但必须有一个前提,即雄蚤的可动突和不动突是在种间和种下出现差异的情况下才适用;(3)通过所附11篇文献的叙述及附图的比较观察,再辅以有关标本的描绘,作者认为D.coreanasichuanensis与D.coreanacoreana在形态上并无区别;D.jii与D.coreanaaraea也无实质性差别。文后附亚种检索表。     

Patterns of formation of the flea (Siphonaptera) fauna in the Caucasus

Fleas of the Caucasus belong to 155 species of 40 genera, constituting 17% and 43% of the species and generic composition of the Palaearctic fauna, respectively. The Caucasian fauna includes 23 endemic species but no endemic genera or subgenera. In the number of species, the Caucasian fauna is similar to that of the Mediterranean Subregion and is significantly poorer than the faunas of the Euro-Siberian (by 2.2 times) and Irano-Turanian (by 1.7 times) Subregions. Based on taxonomic diversity, we can propose a hypothesis on the West and East Palaearctic sources of the Caucasian fauna. The West Palaearctic source has determined the distribution of pulicomorph fleas of the families Pulicidae and Coptopsyllidae from Africa, on the one hand, and of fleas of the genera Ctenopthalmus and Palaeopsylla from Europe, on the other hand. Fleas of the Holarctic genera, such as Ceratophyllus and Megabothris, entered the Caucasus by the north Asian route; fleas of the genera Neopsylla, Rhadinopsylla, and Hystrichopsylla migrated to the Caucasus from east and central Asia by the south Asian route, through Middle and Western Asia.     

Aging and changes in fecundity of the flea Leptopsylla segnis (Siphonaptera: Leptopsyllidae)

In experiment, the mean diurnal fecundity of Leptopsylla segnis females increased during the first five days since the beginning of feeding on white mice and reached the maximum in the second five-day period (15.7-16.7 eggs per 1 female during a day). In subsequent period of stay on a host, an activity of egg laying gradually decreased. In flea females, which had lived on hosts for 40 days and more this index was 3.7 eggs. During the mean life longevity (23 days), the flea females lay about 260 eggs; the females, which have lived more than 40 days, produce above 400 eggs.     

Characteristics of the interspecies relationship of flea images based on 5 species (Siphonaptera) infesting meridian gerbils

Many years of observations (1966-1981) in the southern part of Volga-Ural sands prove interspecific interactions between five species of fleas, specific parasites of Meriones meridianus, following the Gause's principle. The major mechanism for avoiding interspecific competition for the host is a temporal separation of the five species of fleas. During every season of the year, independent of the exchange of one species of fleas by others, their number on the infested host is maintained on the stable level which is regulated by overdispersion of fleas in the host population.     

Circadian rhythm of cat flea (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) locomotion unaffected by ultrasound

Cat fleas, Ctenocephalides felis (Bouché), had a circadian rhythm of locomotion that peaked during the last 2 h of the photophase and declined to a lower level that was maintained throughout the scotophase. Activity was lowest during the first 8 h of photophase. The circadian rhythm of these fleas was not affected by an ultrasonic pest control device.     

Relationship of the flea Citellophilus tesquorum altaicus (Siphonaptera: Ceratophyllidae) with the plague agent

Some aspects of relationships of the flea Citellophilus tesquorum altaicus and bacterium Yersinia pestis of two strains isolated from different parts of the Tuva natural plague focus were studied. Peculiarities of elimination and blood meal activity of fleas infected with two strains of the plague agent were not revealed. Differences in mortality and alimentary activity are considerably determined by the sex of insects. The ability of examined strains to form a proventriculus block was not identical in the strains examined. This ability was expressed higher in the strain I-3428, which originated from the same part of the natural focus as the insectarium flea culture, than in the strain I-3327. During the spring and first half of summer, the proventriculus block appeared more frequently in females. The increasing of the fraction of blocked individuals was observed in both sexes from spring to summer. As for the ability to transmit the plague agent, similar seasonal increasing was noted in males, but in females, the ability to inoculate the plague microbe was always maintained at the same level.     

Age-dependent flea (Siphonaptera) parasitism in rodents: a host's life history matters

We studied age-dependent patterns of flea infestation in 7 species of rodents from Slovakia (Apodemus agrarius, A. flavicollis, A. sylvaticus, A. uralensis, Clethrionomys glareolus, Microtus arvalis, and M. subterraneus). We estimated the age of the host from its body mass and expected the host age-dependent pattern of flea abundance, the level of aggregation, and prevalence to be in agreement with theoretical predictions. We expected that the mean abundance and the level of aggregation of fleas would be lowest in hosts of smallest and largest size classes and highest in hosts of medium size classes, whereas pattern of variation of prevalence with host age would be either convex or asymptotic. In general, mean abundance and species richness of fleas increased with an increase in host age, although the pressure of flea parasitism in terms of number of fleas per unit host body surface decreased with host age. We found 2 clear patterns of the change in flea aggregation and prevalence with host age. The first pattern demonstrated a peak of flea aggregation and a trough of flea prevalence in animals of middle age classes (Apodemus species and C. glareolus). The second pattern was an increase of both flea aggregation and flea prevalence with host age (both Microtus species). Consequently, we did not find unequivocal evidence for the main role of either parasite-induced host mortality or acquired resistance in host age-dependent pattern of flea parasitism. Our results suggest that this pattern can be generated by various processes and is strongly affected by natural history parameters of a host species such as dispersal pattern, spatial distribution, and structure of shelters.