Ceratophyllus (Ceratophyllus) rusticus Wagner, 1903

Pilgrim, Robert L. C. & Galloway, Terry D., 2003, Descriptions of flea larvae (Siphonaptera: Ceratophyllidae, Leptopsyllidae) found in nests of the House Martin, Delichon urbica (Aves: Hirundinidae), in Great Britain, Journal of Natural History 37 (4), pp. 473-502 : 483-487

Ceratophyllus (Ceratophyllus) rusticus Wagner, 1903

(figures 17, 19, 21, 22)

Description

L as for Ce. hirundinis , except as follows:

II–III

Head

Setation: lateral clypeal (l.cl.) less than half the length of antennal shaft. Subgenal (s-gen.) approximately two-thirds length of p.gen. Para-gular (p-gul.) about equal in length to s-gen.

Mandible: usually with eight or nine (range 7–11) distinct teeth on dorsal margin, distal tooth largest.

Thorax (figure 19)

Th. I. Setation: v about half the length of vl.

Th. II–III. Setation: d, d, dl and vl long, but not exceeding posterior margin

1 2 of next segment; v slender, less than half length of vl, reaching just beyond end of its segment.

Abdomen (figure 19)

Ab. 1 – 7. Setation: v less than half length of v.

2 1

Ab. 8. Setation: d, d and dl long, but not reaching beyond tips of anal struts; 1 2

vl and v shorter, approximately equal in length, not reaching alveoli of, respectively, vl and v on Ab. 9. The V plates were usually with only one v seta—in 46 larvae (92 intact V plates) there were: among L only, v + v bilaterally (one larva), v + v II–III 1 2 1 2 unilaterally (three larvae), among all instars, a single v (42 larvae).

Ab. 9. Setation: vl and v approximately equal in length, reaching mid-length of Ab. 10.

Ab. 10 (figure 17). Setation: entire anal comb of 31–49 short setae, in a brush of two or three irregular rows flanking the mid-line, tapering to a single row laterally. Anal strut and anal mound: each mound with 11–19 short setae, loosely arranged in two or three rows.

First instar larva

As L except as follows:

II–III

Egg burster (figures 21, 22): similar to Ce. hirundinis , but egg tooth with less pronounced tip.

Material examined

UK. Scotland, Grampian: Collieston, NK0328, 28 September 1987, ex D. urbica nests on sea cliff, D. K. Mardon and R. W. Marriott, 8 L, 6 L (+8 WW, 12 XX;

I II-III

also adult and larva Ce. hirundinis, adults Ce. f. farreni, adult and larvae Ca. waterstoni, adults and larvae F. laeta); Sands of Forvie Nature Reserve, ca NK0227, 16 October 1991, ex D. urbica nests on sea cliff, G. M. Dunnet, 5 L, 6 L, 2 L

I II-III III exuviae ex cocoons containing 1 W, 1 X Ce. rusticus (+18 WW, 22 XX; also adults and larvae Ca. waterstoni, adults and larvae F. laeta); North Broadhaven Bay, NK0328, 3 October 1994, ex D. urbica nests on sea cliff, R. M. Laing, 3 L exuviae ex III

cocoons containing 1 W, 2 XX Ce. rusticus (also adults and larvae Ca. waterstoni, adults and larvae F. laeta). England, Leicestershire: Birstall, SK5908, October 1984, ex D. urbica nest on building, F. Clark and D. A. C. McNeil, 1 L (also adults II-III

and larvae Ce. hirundinis, adults Ce. f. farreni). Lincolnshire: Stoke Rochford, SK 9127, 7 November 1990, ex D. urbica nest on building, F. Clark, 1 L, 24 L II-III III exuviae ex cocoons containing 20 WW, 4 XX Ce. rusticus (+13 WW, 18 XX; also adults and larvae Ce. hirundinis). France, Hautes Alpes: Freissinières, Cirque de Dormillouse, ‘sur voûte rocheuse’, ca 1500 m, 29 August 1979, ex D. urbica nest, J.-C. Beaucournu, 7 L (+16 adults; also adults and larvae Ce. hirundinis, adults II-III

F. laeta). Slovakia, Lubochnianská dolina, 8 August 1986, ex D. urbica nest ND 240/ 86, D. Cyprich and M. Krumpál, 6 L (+adults; also adults Ce. hirundinis); II-III

Jestřábí, 10 September 1986, ex D. urbica nest ND 336 / 86, D. Cyprich and M. Krumpál, 4 L (+adults; also adults Ce. hirundinis); Staré Hory, 17 September II–III

1989, ex D. urbica nest ND 245/89, D. Cyprich and M. Krumpál, 4 L (also larvae II-III

Ce. hirundinis ).

Remarks

Ceratophyllus rusticus is widespread in the nests of D. urbica in Great Britain (George, 1974), often associated with Ce. hirundinis and Ce. f. farreni (Clark and McNeil, 1981, 1984). It is found throughout central Europe from southern Scandinavia to northern France and Italy, east to Poland and Slovakia (Haddow et al., 1983; Beaucournu and Launay, 1990). The collection from Lincolnshire (Stoke Rochford) contained cocoons with larval (L) exuviae and associated adults of the III

species, so that identification of Ce. rusticus larvae is unequivocal. This is the first description of the larva of Ce. rusticus .

Ceratophyllus rusticus larvae more closely resemble those of Ce. f. farreni in having a complex anal comb and anal mound setae arranged in two to three irregular rows. However, ventral setae on the second and third thoracic segments of Ce. rusticus are relatively long and slender.

Ceratophyllus (Ceratophyllus) farreni farreni Rothschild, 1905 (figure 20)

Description

L as for Ce. hirundinis , except as follows:

II–III

Head

Setation: outermost parietal approximately twice as long as innermost. Lateral clypeal (l.cl.) approximately half the length of antennal shaft. Para-gular (pa-gul.) about the same length as sub-genal (s-gen).

Mandible: usually with eight (occasionally nine or ten) distinct teeth on dorsal margin, distal tooth largest.

Thorax (figure 20)

Th. I. Setation: v short, approximately one-third the length of vl, not reaching

end of segment.

Th. II–III. Setation: d, d, dl and vl long, but not exceeding posterior margin 1 2

of next segment; v stout, less than half length of vl, not reaching beyond posterior margin of its segment.

Abdomen (figure 20)

Ab. 1 – 7. Setation: d, d and dl about three-quarters the length of corresponding 1 2

setae in Ce. hirundinis , reaching to alveoli of posterior row setae of next segment; vl much shorter than dl; v one-third to just less than half the length of v.

2 1

Ab. 8. Setation: d, d and dl long, but not reaching beyond tips of anal struts; 1 2

vl longer than v, neither reaching alveoli of, respectively, vl and v on Ab. 9. On the V plates in 25 larvae (50 intact V plates), all specimens (only L examined) had II-III

a single v seta; similarly, in Ce. f. chaoi Smit and Allen, 1955, 1 L, 10 L larvae I II–III

(22 intact V plates), had a single v seta.

Ab. 9. Setation: posterior row setae extending well beyond tips of anal struts, but shorter than in Ce. hirundinis ; vl slightly longer than v, both reaching beyond posterior margin of segment.

Ab. 10. Setation: entire anal comb of 21–35 short setae, in a brush of two or three irregular rows flanking the mid-line, tapering to a single row laterally.

Anal strut and anal mound: each mound with 12–18 short setae, loosely arranged in two or three rows.