›› 2000, Vol. 43 ›› Issue (1): 88-93.

• RESEARCH PAPERS • Previous Articles     Next Articles

A discusson on the subspecies taxonomy of Doratopsylla coreana Darskaya, 1949 (Siphonaptera: Hystrichopsyllidae)

LIU Jing-yuan1,WANG Dun-qing3   

  • Online:2000-02-20 Published:2000-02-20

Abstract: This paper is a systematic review and analysis of the morphology and classification of subspeciesof the Doratopsylla coreana Darskaya, 1949. Results indicated that: (1) There is a great variation in theratio between the length and middle width of clasper of the known subspecies of D. coreana Darskaya,1949. These variations are often related to specimen preparation; usually there is significant differencewhen they were completely flattened or not. Therefore there is certain disadvantage simply using the ratioas an index for species classification; (2) Usually the movable process and immovable process are treated as "hard structure", while for "soft structure" such as crochet of aedeagus and duct of spermatheca, whenthey are pressed during specimen preparation their direction and form may develop difference or deviation. Since 1970s form of the crochet of aedeagus has played an important supplementary role in the identificationof flea species and subspecies. But there must be a prerequisite that it really shows the actual difference between the movable process and immovable process of the male flea. Furthermore, the filling status of digestive tract, the pressing direction of the body and other factors may also cause errors in classification; (3)Based on the discriptions of the eleven published papers and the comparison of the figures in them as well asexamining the specimens collected by authors ourselves, it is found that there is no difference between themorphology of D. Coreana coreana Darskaya, 1949 and D. Coreana sichuanensis Wei, Chen et Liu,1981. Moreover, there is no essential difference between the morphology of D. coreana araea Smit et Rosicky, 1976 and D. jii Xie et Tian, 1991. The same number of the subspecies of Doratopsylla coreana Darskaya, 1949 keeps, i.e, D. coreana coreana (= D. coreana sichuanensis ); D. coreana waissemani; D. coreana araea (=D. jii ); D. coreana jianchuanensis; D. coreana hubeiensis; D. coreanaliui (=D. liui). Key to the six subspecies is given.

Key words: Siphonaptera, Hystrichopsyllidae, Doratopsylla coreana, classification of subspecies