Cat flea
Cat flea | |
---|---|
Female cat flea | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Siphonaptera |
Family: | Pulicidae |
Genus: | Ctenocephalides |
Species: | C. felis
|
Binomial name | |
Ctenocephalides felis (Bouché, 1835)
| |
Subspecies[2] | |
Synonyms | |
Pulex felis Bouché, 1835 |
The cat flea (scientific name Ctenocephalides felis) is an extremely common parasitic insect whose principal host is the
As humans began domesticating cats, the prevalence of the cat flea increased and it spread throughout the world.Of the cat fleas, Ctenocephalides felis felis is the most common, although other subspecies do exist, including C. felis strongylus, C. orientis, and C. damarensis. [5] Over 90% of fleas found on both dogs and cats are Ctenocephalides felis felis. [3]
Overview
The cat flea belongs to the insect order
The cat flea affects both the cat and the dog worldwide.[7] The cat flea can also maintain its life cycle on other carnivores and on omnivores, but these are only chosen when more acceptable hosts become unavailable.[6] Adult cat fleas do not willingly leave their hosts, and inter-animal transfer of adult fleas is rare except in animals that share sleeping quarters. A flea which becomes separated from its host will often die within hours from starvation.[8] It has been found that mortality differs between male and female cat fleas when separated from the host. It was found that within two days all male cat fleas were dead, while females became inactive after three days.[5]
In addition to their role as pests in dogs and cats, cat fleas are responsible for a number of diseases. They can cause flea bite
Life cycle
Cat fleas are
Flea populations are distributed with about 50% eggs, 35% larvae, 10% pupae, and 5% adults.[11] Cat fleas may live up to two years.
Eggs
An adult gravid female flea that has consumed a full blood meal will begin to produce between 20 and 30 microscopic (0.5 mm) non-adhesive white ovoid eggs per day, laying them individually and continually at a rate of about one per hour until she dies (under ideal conditions it might be possible for her to produce between 2,000 and 8,000 eggs in her lifetime, though most only manage to produce around 100 before being consumed by their host during grooming activity[8]). The eggs are dispersed freely into the environment. Within two to seven weeks a certain proportion will then hatch into larvae.[3] Hatching is at its highest when temperature is 27 °C and humidity is greater than 50%.[9]
Given that eggs are non-adhesive, they do not stick to the host (70% are lost from the host in the first 8 hours).[9]
Larvae
The larva of the cat flea has a grub-like appearance and is ~2 mm in length. The larvae are negatively
Pupal stage
Flea larvae metamorphose through four stages before spinning a cocoon and entering the pupal stage. The cocoon is adhesive, and quickly acquires a coat of camouflage from surrounding dirt and dust. Pupation depends heavily on temperature and moisture, and takes a week or more to complete, though a fully pupated adult can remain inside of its cocoon in a state of semi-dormancy (called the "pupal window") awaiting signs of the presence of a host.[8][14][15][16]
Adult
Newly emerged fleas use variations in light and shadow along with increases in warmth and CO2 to detect the presence of a potential host, and will jump to a new host within seconds of emerging from the cocoon. The new flea begins feeding on host blood within minutes.[14][15][16]
Effects on the hosts
A few fleas on adult dogs or cats cause little harm unless the host becomes
Disease transmission
Cat fleas can transmit other
Prevention and treatment of flea-borne disease
Since more than three-quarters of a flea's life is spent somewhere other than on the host animal, it is not adequate to treat only the host; it is important also to treat the host's environment. Thorough vacuuming, washing linens in hot water, and treating all hosts in the immediate environment (the entire household, for example) is essential for successful eradication. These steps should be performed on a regular basis[19] as the flea life cycle is complex. Treatment should be implemented every five to ten days.[20] Pet safe insecticides may also be an option in treating a pet with fleas, and soap is sufficient as an insecticide for adult fleas.[20]
Insecticide resistance
Cat fleas have developed insecticide resistance to many of the common insecticides used to control them environmentally, including carbamates, organophosphates, and pyrethroids.[12][21] Additionally, it has been found that larvae are more resistant to certain insecticides than adults. Targets of juvenile hormone may be successful to limit growth in the larval stages. When administering insecticides to pets for flea treatment, it is critically important to finish the full dose to limit the spread of resistance.[12][21]
Impact of climate change on the cat flea
Cat fleas are generally tolerant to a wide range of environmental conditions.[22] As the climate warms, however, it is predicted that the tropical haplotype will displace the temperate haplotype. Climate change often drives changes in species range. In Australia, it is predicted that warming temperatures will drive the cat flea distribution south.[22]
See also
- Pulicosis (Flea bites)
References
- ^ European wildcat species account Archived 2013-03-08 at the Wayback Machine IUCN Species Survival Commission. Cat Specialist Group
- ^ "Ctenocephalides". NCBI taxonomy. Bethesda, MD: National Center for Biotechnology Information. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-4443-0932-4.
- S2CID 75138157.
- ^ PMID 26999217.
- ^ a b "Cat flea". Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. Retrieved 2008-10-17.
- PMID 9017899.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-118-97744-6.
- ^ PMID 8030176.
- ^ Fleas. P.G. Koehler and F. M. Oi. Printed July 1993, revised February 2003. Provided by the University of Florida
- ^ [1] Archived 2005-09-19 at the Wayback Machine Crosby, J.T. What is the Life Cycle of the Flea. Accessed 6 August 2012
- ^ PMID 24393426.
- PMID 32609247.
- ^ a b "Fleas". University of Florida. Retrieved 2009-03-13.
- ^ a b "Insects and Ticks: Fleas". Entomology Department at Purdue University. Retrieved 2008-09-08.
- ^ a b "The Biology, Ecology and Management of the Cat Flea" (PDF). University of California, Riverside. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-01-05. Retrieved 2008-09-08.
- PMID 2063950.
- PMID 8030176.
- ^ "Discover Entomology at Texas A&M University - Extension Publication E-433: Controlling Fleas". Archived from the original on 2014-12-26.
- ^ a b CDC (2020-08-13). "Getting rid of fleas | CDC". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved 2021-06-01.
- ^ PMID 26999217.
- ^ PMID 30902110.
External links
- Integrated Flea Control from University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension in Lancaster County
- cat flea on the UF / IFAS Featured Creatures Web site
- About Ctenocephalides felis (cat flea): taxonomy, life cycle, transmitted diseases, eradication at MetaPathogen
Flea treatment
- Dog flea treatments
- Finding and Eliminating Fleas on Your Cat from the BBC
- Safe Use of Flea and Tick Products in Pets