SIPHONAPTERA
(fleas)

Subtaxon Example images Rank Featured
subtaxa
No of
images
No of
ID refs
Female (Click to open)
Superfamily 4 subtaxa 82 images
Female (Click to open)
Family 2 subtaxa 41 images
Superfamily 1 subtaxa 15 images
Family 1 subtaxa 15 images
 (Click to open)
Species 1 subtaxa 15 images
Family 1 ident. refs
Superfamily 1 subtaxa 20 images
Family 1 subtaxa 20 images
 (Click to open)
Species 1 subtaxa 20 images
Taxonomic hierarchy:
OrderSIPHONAPTERA (fleas)
Division Endopterygota (bees, beetles, flies, moths and other insects with wings developing internally)
InfraclassNeoptera (bees, beetles, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other advanced insects)
SubclassPTERYGOTA (bees, beetles, dragonflies, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other winged insects)
ClassINSECTA (true insects)
SubphylumHEXAPODA (insects and other 6-legged organisms)
PhylumARTHROPODA (arthropods)
SuperphylumECDYSOZOA (skin shedders)
CladeBilateria (bilaterally symmetrical animals)
SubkingdomEUMETAZOA (metazoans)
KingdomANIMALIA (animals)
DomainEukaryota (eukaryotes)
LifeBIOTA (living things)

Identification Works

AuthorYearTitleSource
() Avery, R.A. 1974 Identification of Animal Parasites Hulton Group Keys, 182pp, Hulton Educational Publications Ltd.
Brinck-Lindroth, G. & Smit, F.G.A.M. 2007 The fleas (Siphonaptera) of Fennoscandia and Denmark Fauna Entomologica Scandinavica, 41, 266pp, E. J. Brill / Scandinavian Science Press Ltd.
Séguy, E. 1944 *** Insectes Ectoparasites (Mallophages, Anoplures, Siphonaptères) ***(Superseded) Faune de France, Faune No 43, 684pp, Fédération Française des Sociétés de Science Naturel
Smit, F.G.A.M. 1957 *** Siphonaptera ***(Superseded) Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects, 1, Part 16, 94pp, The Royal Entomological Society of London
Whitaker, A.P. 2007 Fleas (Siphonaptera) Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects, 1, Part 16, 2nd edition, 178pp, The Royal Entomological Society of London

SIPHONAPTERA (fleas) may also be included in identification literature listed under the following higher taxa:

NBNNBN (data.nbn.org.uk) has a distribution map for SIPHONAPTERA (fleas)
BioInfoBioInfo (www.bioinfo.org.uk) has 48 host/parasite/foodplant and/or other relationships for SIPHONAPTERA (fleas)

A group of small flattened insects with considerable jumping powers. The adults are obligate parasites of warm-blooded vertebrates.

Most species are restricted to one or a few related host species, or species with similar habits. But (as any cat owner knows) displaced fleas are attracted to any warm-blooded animal, so any species might occasionally be found on an unexpected host.

The worm-like larvae live among detritus in nests. For this reason fleas are restricted to animals that build nests or, at least, return to the same home or burrow - Ungulates (cattle, horses, deer etc) do not have fleas.

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