Cat flea
Species of flea / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The cat flea (scientific name Ctenocephalides felis) is an extremely common parasitic insect whose principal host is the domestic cat, although a high proportion of the fleas found on dogs also belong to this species.[3] This is despite the widespread existence of a separate and well-established "dog" flea, Ctenocephalides canis. Cat fleas originated in Africa[4] but can now be found globally.[5] As humans began domesticating cats, the prevalence of the cat flea increased and it spread throughout the world.
Cat flea | |
---|---|
Female cat flea | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Siphonaptera |
Family: | Pulicidae |
Genus: | Ctenocephalides |
Species: | C. felis |
Binomial name | |
Ctenocephalides felis (Bouché, 1835) | |
Subspecies[2] | |
| |
Synonyms | |
Pulex felis Bouché, 1835 |
Of the cat fleas, Ctenocephalides felis felis is the most common, although other subspecies do exist, including C. felis strongylus, C. orientis, and C. damarensis. [5] Over 90% of fleas found on both dogs and cats are Ctenocephalides felis felis. [3]