Morphometric variability of the mallophagan populations (Insecta, Phthiraptera, Amblycera and Ischnocera) from the Polish and Indian domestic fowl (Gallus gallus F. dom.)

Populations of poultry lice of five species Eomenacanthus stranineus (Nitzsch), Menopon gallinae, (L.), Goniocotes gallinae (De Geer), Oulocrepis dissimilis (Denny), and Lipeurus caponis (L.) from hens (Gallus gallus f.dom.) from Polond (Lower Silesia) and India (Dehra-Dun province) served as model material for comprehensive studies in order to check if and how spatial (geographic) distance of hostsreflects morphological differentiations. The measurements of 60 males and 60 females chosen at random of each species were analysed. Each metrical character was characterised by the arithmetic mean, standard deviation and coefficient of variation. the significant differences among the means were tested by student test. Lice populations from Poland, particularly belonging to Ischnocera (Goniodidae and Lipeurudae) had greater body sizes and smaller interspecific variabilitythan Indian ones. Coefficients of variation of male morphometric characters, in particular from India was far lower than females. In both sexes of European and Indian members of Amblycera (Menopon gallinae and Eomenacanthus stramineus) the ranges of variation, first of all head dimensions were nearly equal. However, means of all examined characters of species, except for M. gallinae were statistically significant. Among Goniodidae (Goniocotes gallinae and Oulocrepis dissimilis) the coefficient of difference (CD) established by MAYR as a measure of subspecies differentiatuion was higher than 1.28. It corresponds with great dismemberment of that phylogenetically young family and their great plasticity.