Everything about Fleas totally explained
Flea is the
common name for any of the small wingless
insects of the
order Siphonaptera (some authorities use the name
Aphaniptera because it's older, but
names above family rank need not follow the
ICZN rules of priority, so most taxonomists use the more familiar name). Fleas are external
parasites, living by
hematophagy off the
blood of
mammals and
birds. Genetic and morphological evidence indicates that they're descendants of the
Scorpionfly family
Boreidae, which are also flightless; accordingly it's possible that that'll eventually be reclassified as a suborder within the
Mecoptera. In the past, however, it was most commonly supposed that fleas had evolved from the
flies (
Diptera), based on similarities of the larvae. In any case, all these groups seem to represent a
clade of closely related insect lineages, for which the names
Mecopteroidea and
Antliophora have been proposed.
Some well known flea species include:
Morphology and behavior
Fleas are small (1/16 to 1/8-
inch (1.5 to 3.3 mm) long), agile, usually dark coloured (for example, the reddish-brown of the cat flea), wingless insects with tube-like mouthparts adapted to feeding on the blood of their hosts. Their bodies are laterally compressed (that is, flattened side to side), permitting easy movement through the hairs or feathers on the host's body. Their legs are long, the hind pair well adapted for jumping (vertically up to seven inches (18 cm); horizontally thirteen inches (33 cm)) - around 200 times their own body length, making the flea the best jumper out of all animals (in comparison to body size). The flea body is hard, polished, and covered with many hairs and short spines directed backward, allowing the flea a smooth passage through the hairs of its host. Its tough body is able to withstand great pressure, likely an adaptation to survive scratching etc. Even hard squeezing between the fingers is normally insufficient to kill the flea; it may be necessary to capture them with adhesive tape,
crush them between the fingernails, roll them between the fingers,
or put them in a fire safe area and burn them with match or lighter.
Fleas lay tiny white oval shaped eggs. Their larvae are small and pale with bristles covering their worm-like body. They are without eyes, and have mouthparts adapted to chewing. While the adult flea's diet consists solely of blood, their larvae feed on various organic matter including the feces of mature fleas. In the pupae phase the larvae are enclosed in a silken, debris covered cocoon.
Life cycle and habitat
Fleas are
holometabolous insects, going through the three
life cycle stages of
larva,
pupa and
imago (adult). The flea life cycle begins when the female lays after feeding. Adult fleas must feed on blood before they can become capable of reproduction., winged insects with good eyesight. The flightless
snow flea with its
rudimentary wings seems to be close to the common ancestor of the 2000 or so currently known varieties of flea, which split off in many directions around 160 million years ago.
Other
The
Moche people of ancient
Peru worshipped nature. They placed emphasis on animals and even depicted fleas in their art.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Fleas'.
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