Flea
Scientific Name: Ctenocephalides felis (cat flea, most common domestic species), Pulex irritans (human flea), etc.
Order & Family: Siphonaptera, Pulicidae (common family, though other families exist)
Size: 1.5 to 3.3 mm (about 0.06 to 0.13 inches)
Natural Habitat
Fleas are found globally, primarily in areas inhabited by their hosts. This includes pet bedding, carpets, upholstery, cracks in floors, and outdoors in shady, moist areas where animals rest.
Diet & Feeding
Adult fleas feed exclusively on the blood of mammals and birds.
Behavior Patterns
Fleas are excellent jumpers, able to leap great distances relative to their size. They are parasitic and spend much of their lives on hosts, feeding frequently. Their life cycle includes egg, larva, pupa, and adult stages, with adults emerging from pupal cocoons when a host is detected by vibrations or heat.
Risks & Benefits
Fleas are primarily a pest to humans and animals. Risks include itchy bites, allergic reactions (flea allergy dermatitis in pets), and transmission of diseases like tapeworms (Dipylidium caninum) and, historically, the bubonic plague (via species like Xenopsylla cheopis, the oriental rat flea). They offer no known direct benefit to humans or ecosystems, other than serving as a food source for some predators.
Identified on: 8/12/2025