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BioImages: The Virtual Field-Guide (UK)
Smit, F.G.A.M., 1957
Siphonaptera
The book begins with introductory chapters on Collecting ("Although killing off bats in small numbers is not likely to affect their population density, one can also collect bat fleas by exposing bats to fumes of chloroform in a tin or jar." How times have changed!), Preserving, Labelling, Mounting, Morphology, Glossary with explanatory line drawings(10.5 pages - parasites have specialised morphology).
The dichotomous keys follow the taxonomic hierarchy (ie they are natural keys) so tend to use obscure hard-to-see characters, rather than obvious characters like number of teeth on the various combs. Also many of the terms are defined in words rather than illustrated (spinelet) or not defined at all (fracticipit, integricipit). All this makes the keys hard to use, however the species are usually quite distinctive when you finally get there!
The final entry for each species gives a useful confirmatory description - using the characters I'd have prefered to see in the keys! The species entries have a few lines on biology, host preferences and distribution.
| Publisher |
The Royal Entomological Society of London (RES) |
| Volume |
1, Part 16 |
| Pages |
94 |
| Coverage |
All the British species then known, including those on migrant birds, but apparently not on zoo animals. |
| Illustrations |
Line drawings accompany the text. |
| Identify |
Under a Compound Microscope. |
| Specimen Prep. |
Specimens need to be macerated in KOH and cleared to see internal structures. |
| Difficulty |
A little tricky, often using characters which are hard to see, and a few that are not defined, but that said, Mammal fleas are generally straightforward, while bird fleas are much harder. |
Malcolm Storey
Taxonomic Scope
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