Abstract: During entomological surveys conducted by the present author in the whole of the Balochistan Province during 1996-2001, a single ♀ and a ♂ of Sergentomyia (Sergentomyia) dentata arpaklensis Perfiliev (1933) were collected at Mand-Balochistan, near border with Iran, on 09.1.2001 from a mud house through sticky traps. Its taxonomic characters are re-described and the characters not described by earlier workers are also described and illustrated. Differential diagnosis of this species is also provided. The results are compared with the data available in the existing literature.
INTRODUCTION
Phlebotomus dentatus was described by Sinton (1933) from 2 ♀ and one ♂ from Quetta but mouth parts of the female fly were not described nor sketched. Similar, sandflies were collected by Perfiliev (1933) from the Karakala District of Turkmenistan and described as Phlebotomus minutus var. arpaklensis. However, Phlebotomus dentatus was first recorded in 1937 from Turkmenistan by Perfiliev (1968). Sergentomyia dentata was also found in Georgia in 1955 and in Azarbaijan in 1958 by Perfiliev (1960). Unfortunately, it was at that time, Sergentomyia dentata arpaklensis Perfliev (1933) was not differentiated from another species and was later described as Sergentomyia sintoni from Iraq by Pringle (1953). Russian authors often used the name arpaklensis for the forms of Turkmenistan and of Middle East. According to the original description of Sergentomyia dentata arpaklensis, the buccal cavity was having 18-20 teeth of which the median teeth were much shorter and narrower. Theodor (1958) and Theodor and Mesghali (1964) pointed out that previously Sergentomyia arpaklensis from Turkmenistan was considered as identical and a synonyms of Sergentomyia dentata Sinton, from Quetta–Balochistan, but re-examination of specimens of these species proved that lateral teeth (usually 5) of Turkmenistan form were not as large as in the type form from Quetta and also does not have well developed lateral punctiform denticles. Further, it was suggested that specimens of P. bruchomi from Greece seemed indistinguishable from Sergentomyia dentata arpaklensis and Phlebotomus bruchomi was considered a synonyms of this. Thus, the name of arpaklensis was reinstated as a subspecies for Middle East and Turkmenistan forms. Lewis (1967) recorded Sergentomyia dentata arpaklensis Perfiliev (1933) from Gwadi, Landikotal, Peshawar and Rawalpindi areas in Pakistan, but description of labrum, hypopharynx, maxilla, mandible, cibarium and pharynx were not given nor their diagrams were provided. Aslamkhan and Rafiq (1980) reported Sergentomyia dentata from Quetta and Sibi and Rab, et al. (1986) recorded Sergentomyia dentata from Uthal, but taxonomic characteristics of this species were neither described not sketched. In view of the insufficient descriptions of Perfiliev (1933 and 1968), Mesghali (1961), Theodor and Mesghali (1964), Lewis (1967), Aslamkhan and Rafiq (1980) and Rab et al. (1986), Sergentomyia dentate arpaklensis Perfiliev is redescribed in detail.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
During a taxonomic study of sandflies of the Balochistan conducted by the present author in 1996-2001 in the whole of the Balochistan Province, 2013 sandflies comprising of genera Phlebotomus, Sergentomyia and Grassomyia were collected. (Kakarsulemankhel, 2001). For processing, dissection and examination of taxonomic characters, the conventional procedures especially those used by Johnson et al. (1963), Lewis (1973), Killick-Kendrick (1983), Lawyer et al. (1991) and Killick-Kendrick et al. (1994) were followed. For species identification keys furnished by Perfiliev (1933 and 1968) and Lewis (1967) were followed. All the diagrams were drawn with Camera lucida and are to the given scales. Measurements are in millimeter unless otherwise indicated.
Sergentomyia (Sergentomyia) dentata arpaklensis Perfiliev (1933) (Text-Figs.1 and 2 and Table 1a)
Female: (1 specimen was examined) (Fig. 1). Wing 1.28 mm long, 0.272 mm broad, α=0.16 mm long, β=0.224 mm, δ=0.04 mm, γ=0.24 mm, π=0.024 mm, alar index 0.71. Palps and antennae missing. Proboscis 0.15 mm long. Labrum (Fig. 1A) 0.12 mm long, 4-5 closely packed apical sensilla and a sensilla depth 0.32 mm.
| Table 1a: | Comparative taxonomic characters (in mm) of Sergentomyia dentata arpaklensis Perfiliev (1933) |
Hypopharynx (Fig. 1B), apex 0.002 mm broad, with about 6 minute pointing teeth 0.002 mm broad, about 14 fine undulation on each side, a dental depth of 0.032 mm. Maxilla (Fig. 1C) with 2 lateral and 29 ventral teeth, a dental depth of 0.076 mm. Mandible (Fig. 1D) narrow, 0.006 mm broad, 5 teeth per 0.004 mm, a dental depth of 0.056 mm. Cibarium (Fig. 1E) 0.05 mm broad, chitinous arch absent, cibarium with 5-6 very large pointed, thick teeth (0.008 mm long) at each sides and about 3-4 short, thick pointed median teeth (0.003 mm long) arranged on a sharp curved line, lateral punctiform denticles present, on the back ground of teeth, there was a broad roughly triangular dark brown pigmented area, anterior process absent. Pharynx (Fig. 1F) 0.11 mm long and 2.11 times as long as its hind width twice as broad as its narrower anterior portion. Pharyngeal armature consists of numerous long slender anterior teeth and small rounded denticles posteriorly. Armature occupies 3.66 times the pharynx and do not reach lateral borders of the pharynx. Spermatheca damaged.
Male: (1 specimen was examined) (Fig. 2). Wings damaged. Palp (Fig. 2A) 0.45 mm long, palp formula 1,2,3,4,5, palpal ratio 1:3:4.3:5:9. Proboscis=0.14 mm long. A 3 (Fig. 2B) 0.11 mm long, A3/labrum=0.94, A3/ proboscis 0.785, A3/A4+5=0.733, ascoid 0.016 mm long, position of ascoid 0.636, ascoid 3/ A3=0.145, position of a single papilla on A3= 0.81. A4 (Fig. 2C,lower) 0.076 mm long, ascoid=0.016 mm long, position of ascoid=0.263, ascoid 4/A4=0.21, position of a single papilla on A4=0.65. A5 (Fig. 2C,upper) 0.074 mm long, ascoid=0.016 mm long, position of ascoid=0.27, ascoid 5/ A5=0.21.
| Table 1b: | Comparative taxonomic characters (in mm) of Sergentomyia dentata arpaklensis Perfiliev (1933) |
| Fig. 1: | Camera Lucida drawings of Sergentomyia dentata arpaklensis (♀) showing: labrum (A), hypopharynx (B), maxilla (C), mandible (D), cibarium (E), pharynx (F) |
| Fig. 2: | Camera Lucida drawings of Sergentomyia dentate arpaklensis (♂) showing: palp (A), the third (B), fourth (C, lower) and fifth (C, upper) antennal segments, labrum (D), hypopharynx (E), maxilla (F), cibarium (G), pharynx (H), coxite (I), style (J), paramere (K), aedeagus (L), genital filament (M), pump (N), surstyle (O) |
Labrum (Fig. 2D) 0.116 mm long and a sensilla depth 0.030 mm. Hypopharynx (Fig. 2E) 0.012 mm broad, apex pointed and a dental depth of 0.030 mm. Maxilla (Fig. 2F) smooth. Cibarium (Fig. 2G) 0.04 mm broad with about 16 small pointed teeth of equal size arranged in a row convex anteriorly, a few irregularly distributed dot like minute denticles at the base of the teeth, at the back ground of teeth, there was a small dark brown, oval shaped pigmented area, chitinous arch absent. Pharynx (Fig. 2H) 0.12 mm long and is about 3.33 times as long as broad and its widest posterior portion is 1.28 times as wide as the narrowest anterior part. There is no marked posterior dilation of this structure. The pharyngeal armature is well developed and consists of series of short spines. The spines at the posterior part are slender, while the more anterior ones are relatively stout. Pharyngeal armature occupies 0.16 of the pharynx. Male terminalia: coxite (Fig. 2I) 0.21 mm long and 0.06 mm broad, coxite / A3=1.91, coxite/ labrum=1.81, coxite/style=2.62. Style (Fig. 2J) 0.08 mm long, 0.026 mm broad, with 2 apical spines longer than the style (0.1 mm long) and 2 sub apical, tip of the apical spine spatulate, ventral seta 0.02 mm long and close to apex of style (0.87), near sub apical spine. Paramere (Fig. 2K) 0.12 mm long, 0.66% of the length of the paramere is about 0.03 mm broad, whereas narrow neck (0.33% of the body) was 0.01 mm broad, paramere with blunt rounded ends. Aedeagus (Fig. 2L) 0.08 mm long, relatively thick, each halves of aedeagus 0.016 mm broad, with light broad rounded tip and its distal part not narrowing. Genital filament (Fig. 2M) smooth 0.26 mm long and pump 0.08 mm long (Fig. 2N), filament to pump ratio of 3.25. Surstyle (Fig. 2O) 0.18 mm long and shorter than coxite (0.857).
Differential diagnosis of S. dentata arpaklensis : A shorter A3 than labrum (A3 / labrum=0.94), ascoid 4/A4 (about 0.21), morphology of cibarium, pharynx and male terminalia specially shape of paramere, thick and broad aedeagus are useful diagnostic characters of ♂ of this species. However, ♀ of this species can be identified by the presence of 5-6 very large, thick, pointed cibarial teeth at each sides and 3-4 short median teeth arranged on a sharp curved line with dot like lateral denticles at the base of these teeth.
Distribution: Balochistan. New Record, Present survey: Mand. This locality is an important focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis. Flies were collected from a mud wall of residential house using sticky traps on 09 .i. 2001. N.W.F.P: Landikotal, Peshawar (Lewis,1967). Northern Areas : Gwali (Lewis,1967). Punjab : Rawalpindi (Lewis,1967). Iran. S. dentata arpaklensis has been recorded from Tabriz, Kazerun and Bander Abbas by Mesghali (1961) and Theodor and Mesghali (1964) recorded it from Gumbad-e-Kawus (north of Elburz) and Kerman in north and Neiriz in the south. Turkmenistan : KaraKala area (Perfiliev,1933).
DISCUSSION
Results of the present study are compared with the published data of this species from existing literature (Table1b). Pharynx and cibarium of female specimens of Sergentomyia arpaklensis from Balochistan found to resemble with specimens from Turkmenistan (Perfiliev,1933 and1968) both in size, arrangement, number of cibarial teeth, presence of minute denticles at the base of lateral teeth and presence of a more or less conical anterior process of pigment parch. However, it slightly differs from specimens of Turkmenistan (pharynx was about 2.1 times as long as hind width, Turkmenistan=base of pharynx three times as wide as apex). However, the results of the present study show that the specimens from Pakistan resemble with the specimens from Turkmenistan, more closely than the other related sub species. Similarly, specimen ♂ Sergentomyia arpaklensis from Balochistan differs with specimens of this species from Turkmenistan and Central Asia (Perfiliev,1968) mainly in the shorter third antennal segments (0.11 mm) and a shorter coxite. However, it was found to resemble in ascoid 4/A4, in the arrangement and uniform size of cibarial teeth, presence of anterior denticles at the base of teeth and a short median dark brown pigment area of irregular shape. It also resembles in the morphology and measurements of pharynx, style, paramere, aedeagus and surstyle. It also resembles with Sergentomyia dentata from Afghanistan (Artemiev,1978) only in ascoid 4/A4.
From the original description and diagram of cibarium of Sergentomyia dentata (♂) from Quetta, given by Sinton (1933), it does not appear that median teeth are smaller than the laterals. Sinton (1933) further clearly states that a new variety of sandfly from Turkmenistan, Phlebotomus minutus var. arpaklensis described by Perfiliev (1933) appears to be identical with Phlebotomus dentatus Sinton (1933). Sinton (1933) further repeats that cibarium of Phlebotomus dentatus has about 15 teeth arranged in a row markedly concave backwards and pigmented area absent. Our results show that Pakistani specimens seem more closer to Sergentomyia dentata arpaklensis Perfiliev (1933) from Turkmenistan than to other related subspecies. Therefore, the specimens from south west Pakistan are treated as S. dentate arpaklensis Perfiliev (1933).
There are no published reports incriminating S. dentata arpaklensis, which is thought to be moderately thermophilic, hydrophilic and a possible vector of reptilian leishmaniasis (Artemiev,1978) and presumably plays no part in transmitting Leishmania to man.
The results of the present study revealed that S. dentate arpaklensis is a very rare species found near Pak-Iran boarder.