Pulicidae

Siphonaptera • veterinary/medical pests • pests-diseases-weeds

Pulex irritans - female (left) and male (right)(click on image to enlarge it)
Author(s): Herms, William Brodbeck (1876-1949)
Source: Wikimedia Commons

Pulicidae

The fleas of this family are blood-sucking ectoparasites of mammals, including pets and humans. The family contains nearly 200 species in 24 genera. The members are characterized by a number of morphological characters, e.g. large eyes and the middle coxae lacking an outer internal ridge. Important species are the cat flea, the dog flea and the human flea.

The following genera are currently entered under Pulicidae:

• Ctenocephalides (genus)
• Echidnophaga (genus)
• Pulex (genus)

• Spilopsyllus cuniculi
• Xenopsylla (genus)