Cat Flea (Common Household Flea)

Found globally in domestic settings; adults live on the bodies of host mammals (cats, dogs, and humans), while larvae thrive in carpets, bedding, and floor cracks.

Adults are hematophagous (blood-feeders) that consume host blood. Larvae feed on organic debris and 'flea dirt' (dried adult excrement containing undigested blood).

Wingless but excellent jumpers; they use powerful hind legs to leap onto hosts. They exhibit holometabolous metamorphosis (egg, larva, pupa, adult) and can remain dormant in the pupal stage for months until vibration or heat signals a nearby host.

Risks include skin irritation and allergic dermatitis in pets and humans. They can transmit tapeworms (Dipylidium caninum) if ingested and are vectors for murine typhus and cat-scratch disease. They offer no notable benefits to the ecosystem or humans.