Tunga penetrans
Scientific Name: Tunga penetrans
Order & Family: Order: Siphonaptera, Family: Tungidae
Size: Approximately 1 mm before feeding, but the female can expand to about 1 cm long (the size of a pea) when engorged with eggs.
Natural Habitat
Sandy, dry, and warm soils in tropical and subtropical regions such as Central and South America, sub-Saharan Africa, and India.
Diet & Feeding
The insect feeds on mammalian blood. Both males and females bite, but only the pregnant female burrows into the host's skin.
Behavior Patterns
The female flea burrows into the skin of a host, usually on the feet. Once inside, she feeds, remains for several weeks, and releases hundreds of eggs through a small hole in the skin before dying.
Risks & Benefits
Causes tungiasis, a painful skin infestation. Risks include secondary bacterial infections, gangrene, and loss of toenails. It provides no known benefits to the ecosystem or humans.
Identified on: 6/19/2026