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The Cat Flea; (Ctenocephalides felis) & The Dog Flea (Ctenocephalides canis)

These two fleas, particularly the former, are the most common species found in and around homes. They are most abundant in summer, and seem to be especially numerous when homes are re-occupied afteer the residents have been away for a few weeks. The cat and dog flea are so similar in appearance and bilology that for practical purposes they can be described under the same heading.

Description: The female is 2.5 mm long, and the male is slightly smaller. The head of the female cat flea is twice as long as high when seen from the side, while that of the female dog flea as less than twice as long as high. In both species, the genal comb consists of 8 pairs of spines, and the pronotal comb also consists of 8 pairs. With the aid of low magnification, it can be determined that the first 2 anterior spines of the genal comb of the cat flea are about equal in length, while the first spine is distinctly shorter in the dog flea (Ewing and Fox, 1943; Pratt and Wiseman, 1962).

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