chapter 16

Siphonaptera (Fleas)
Katharina Dittmar and Michael W. Hastriter

Fleas are small, heavily sclerotized, wingless, ectoparasitic ­ etepimeron (Fig. 1A–B). The pronotum might bear pro-
m
holometabolous insects, with sucking mouthparts. The notal ctenidia. The thoracic terga have one or more rows
body is laterally flattened with numerous backward pro- of setae. The mesepimeron is occasionally with setae. The
jecting spines and bristles; the short antennae are found in jumping ability of fleas is embodied in the pleural arch,
grooves on the side of the head. The hind legs are strong formed by fusion of the ventral end of the notal ridge and
with enlarged coxae, femora and tibiae, modified for jump- the transverse ridge of metanotal area (Fig. 1A–B, D).
ing. Eggs are white, ovoid, non-adhesive. The 3 larval instars The abdomen has 10 terga (tg I–X) and 8 sterna (st II–
are apodous and eyeless. The pupae are enclosed in silken IX). The sensilial plate (sensilium, present in males and
cocoons. Recent molecular studies support their mono- females) on tergum X has a variable number of sensory
phyly, and suggest a close relationship to the Mecoptera pits and bears an anal stylet (Fig. 1A). In males terga VIII
(Whiting et al., 2008; Whiting, 2002; Misof et al., 2014). and IX, and sterna VIII and IX are highly modified and part
of the copulatory apparatus. Abdominal terga have one or
more rows of setae, and fully developed ctenidia or spine-
Morphology: adults lets are sometimes present. Tergum VII usually has ante-
sensilial bristles (except Vermipsyllidae and some
The morphological diversity among flea families and Lycopsyllidae). Sternum VIII of female modified with vari-
species is extraordinary; a glossary published in 1971
­ ous lobes and sinuses.
by Rothschild and Traub provides the standard for inter- The legs have well-developed coxae, tibiae with a
pretations of structures by systematists. The morphologi- ­variable number of bristles on the dorsal margin, and five
cal features most important for identification appear in tarsal segments. The hind coxae have an inner internal rod
Figs 1 and 2. and outer internal ridge.
The head consists of an anterior (frons) and a dorso- The genital apparatus of the male is composed of
posterior occipital area usually separated by the antennal highly modified terminal segments (terga VIII and IX, and
fossa and an interantennal suture (if present). The prean- sterna VIII and IX) and a phallosome (aedeagus). Tergum
tennal part of the head bears mouthparts and sometimes IX (clasper) comprises dual internal apodemes, manubria
genal ctenidia (comb-like series of highly modified flat- and external basimere (lobes and processes) and usually
tened setae). In many fleas an eye-spot is present on each an articulated telomere (a finger or movable process).
side, which presumably represents a rudimentary eye The  female have spermathecae (used for sperm storage;
(Taylor et al., 2005). In some species the frons has a frontal divided into a head ‘bulga’ and a tail ‘hilla’) and a bursa
tubercle. The mouthparts are sucking with 3 piercing copulatrix. Extended from the bursa copulatrix are two
­stylets (epipharynx and 2 maxillary laciniae); maxillae, ducts connecting to the spermathecae. Most fleas have
maxillary, and labial palps are well developed. The only one spermatheca. In such cases, the second duct
antenna is 3-segmented (scape, pedicel and flagellum, is  vestigial, or blind, and known as ductus obturatus.
[=‘clavus’ in siphonapterists’ terminology]), lodged in the (Fig. 2A–F).
antennal fossa. The clavus is usually comprised of nine
segments, some may be fused. Male antennae are usually
longer than those of females, and may be vertically Immature stages
extendable over the head. The occiput occasionally has an
occipital groove that is always more pronounced in males Siphonaptera eggs are usually white, ovoid, and non adhe-
(Fig. 1A–B). sive. They can be found in the surroundings of the host’s
Prothorax with pronotum and prosternosome, meso- living space or occasionally in the fur of the host animal.
thorax with mesonotum, mesepisternum, mesepimeron, Flea larvae are small, legless, and sparsely covered with
separated by pleural rod and mesosternum; metatho- setae. They have a pair of blunt terminal appendages, and
rax  with metanotum, metepisternum, metasternum and eyes are lacking. Usually, there are 3 larval instars, which
 head thorax abdomen
asbr
is ocg tg l
pn mn mtn tg tg VII sens
mepm mtep
prsts mte
mep
mst mts
cx I
cx II st II
cx III
fe I
fe II

fe III
ti II

claws ti III

tarsus II

A
tarsus
dtm
clavus tm I tm II tm III
pedicel pnct
scape
tm IV
occ pn C
fr
mn
af
gp
pla
prsts mep
m lmna
plr
mp mst

cx I
ml lp

B D