← Gallery II · The Orders
No. 18 · Holometabolous
Fleas
Siphonaptera
~2,500
Described species
~16
Families
Introduction
A flea can jump 150 times its own body length. The oriental rat flea (Xenopsylla cheopis) was the primary vector of Yersinia pestis, the plague bacterium.
Field marks
Key ID traits.
Wingless. Laterally compressed (flattened side-to-side) for navigating through host fur and feathers. Spectacular jumping legs. Piercing-sucking mouthparts. Adults are obligate blood feeders on warm-blooded hosts.
Etymology
Greek siphon 'tube' + apteros 'wingless'
Wings
Wingless
Diet
Blood
Habitat
Parasitic
Notable examples
Cat flea, dog flea, oriental rat flea (Yersinia pestis vector — Black Death).
Where to look