New insights into Ctenophthalmus genus (Siphonaptera: Ctenophthalmidae)phylogeny. Morphological, Molecular and Phylogenetic study.. New insights into Ctenophthalmus genus (Siphonaptera: Ctenophthalmidae)phylogeny. Morphological, Molecular and Phylogenetic study.

The family Ctenophthalmidae (Order Siphonaptera) has been considered as a ``catchall´´ for a wide range of divergent taxa showing a paraphyletic origin. In turn, Ctenophthalmus sp. (Ctenophthalmidae) includes 300 valid described taxa. Within this genus, males are easily distinguishable basing on the size, shape and chaetotaxy of their genitalia; however, females show slight morphological differences each other. The main objective of this work was to carry out a comparative morphological, phylogenetic and molecular study of five different subspecies: Ctenophthalmus baeticus boisseauorum, Ctenophthalmus baeticus avernus, Ctenophthalmus nobilis dobyi, Ctenophthalmus andorrensis catalaniensis and Ctenophthalmus apertus allani in order to clarify and discuss its taxonomic status.