Cat flea

Cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis)

The cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis ) is a wingless insect of the order parasitierendes of fleas ( Siphonaptera ). Females are 2 to 3 mm, colored male about 1 mm long and brown to red - brown. The cat flea keeps mainly to infected animals and feeds on the blood of the host, its stages of development, however, are mainly found in hiding. Due to its wide host range of the cat flea is a very common flea species. It also affects the people and also plays a role as disease carriers.

Morphology

Like all fleas, the cat flea is a wingless insect with three pairs of legs, the last of which to jump strong legs is reshuffled, and with a combined piercing and proboscis as a mouth tool. He is brown to red-brown. Females are 2 to 3 mm, males about 1 mm long.

The cat flea has an elongated head, which is about twice as long as high. It can be distinguished from other species of fleas based on the scene from Chitindornen sting combs ( ctenidia ). The head spiked comb ( Genalctenidium ) bears 7-8 spines, the first and second spike are about the same length. The sting crest of the prothorax ( Pronotalctenidium ) contributes about 16 spines.

The fußrückenseitige edge of the talus has six notches, from which arise bristles.

Propagation

Fertilized females lay 24 hours after copulation about 30 eggs in the skin of infected animals. The approximately 0.5 mm eggs fall but soon the animal from and are distributed mostly in the immediate vicinity of the sleeping quarters. After 4-5 days, the larvae hatch one that feeds mainly of digested blood of adult fleas and organic material from the environment. Since the larvae are very sensitive to drying out, they live mostly hidden in the grass, sand, carpets and crevices. After molting the larva 2 and 3 follows pupate in a cocoon of 5 mm.

In the pupal stage, the parasites are largely resistant to desiccation, light and most insecticides. The slip of the adult flea ( Imago ) by various stimuli such as heat, carbon dioxide content or vibration. The entire development cycle takes about a month under favorable conditions, but it can take at low ambient temperature for several months.

Immediately after hatching, he seeks jumping a new host. From this stage fleas usually live permanently on their hosts, in heavy infestations they change to other passing by hosts. The life of the imago is about one, in exceptional cases up to three months.

The winter can survive only the adult fleas on their hosts and the dolls in heated rooms of the development cycle, however, can take place all year round.

Flea infestation

Due to its wide host range of the cat flea is one of the most widespread species of fleas. Despite the use of preventative flea control it is estimated that up to 20 % of dogs and cats have a flea infestation, the infestation maximum occurs in late summer. In urban areas, the cat flea is the most common parasite in domestic dogs, the more specialized dog flea is found chiefly in rural areas. Also, other animals and humans are not spared from the cat flea.

Full-grown (adult ) fleas feed on their sucking - piercing mouthparts from the blood of their hosts. Do you drink per day to about 13 ul of blood. The flea excrement consists mainly of undigested blood components and is black and crumbly. Bring to him on a damp piece of paper, it turns reddish- brown, which is an important evidence of a low-grade infection, especially because cats are very effective in flea removal, so that you can find in circumstances no adult fleas on the host.

Through the Flea a punctate redness with light court arises under certain circumstances a papule. In heavy infestations, a more extensive skin inflammation ( dermatitis) can develop. Frequent and clinically apparent, however, are allergic reactions ( flea allergy ) which may also result in only a small infestation to severe lesions.

Even with the indirect disease transmission of this flea plays a role, because it is, for example, an important intermediate host for the cucumber core tapeworm. Other pathogens such as Mycoplasma (causative agent of feline infectious anemia), Bartonella henselae (causative agent of cat scratch disease) or Rickettsia felis are spread by cat fleas.

Combat

Against adult fleas can insecticides such as fipronil, imidacloprid, Metaflumizone, Nitenpyram or selamectin be used. To prevent the larvae development, Chitininhibitoren are as lufenuron. For the chemical environment treatment chlorpyrifos, permethrin, propoxur, fenoxycarb, methoprene, or combinations of these agents are used.