Flea Larva (Desiccated/Dried)
Ctenocephalides felis (most common household flea)
- Order & Family
- Order: Siphonaptera, Family: Pulicidae
- Size
- 3–5 mm long when alive; often appear shriveled and smaller when dead or desiccated.
Natural Habitat
Typically found in dark, sheltered areas where pets sleep or rest, such as carpets, floor cracks, and bedding. They avoid light.
Diet & Feeding
Scavengers that feed on organic debris, particularly 'flea dirt' (dried blood excreted by adult fleas), shed skin cells, and other organic matter.
Behavior Patterns
Larvae are negatively phototactic (they move away from light). They wriggle actively to burrow deep into carpet fibers or cracks. They spin a silken cocoon to pupate before emerging as adults.
Risks & Benefits
Risks: As they mature into adult fleas, they become parasitic pests that bite humans and animals to feed on blood, causing itching, allergic reactions, and potentially transmitting diseases (like typhus or tapeworms) or causing anemia in pets. No known ecosystem benefits in domestic environments.