Flea ( Siphoneptera )

Flea .... or Siphoneptera!

Fleas are pesky insects with no wings, and are usually dark in color so as to blend into things.  They usually reside in dark woods, or on animal fur.  They have long legs that help them get onto animals, and tube like mouths for sucking blood. A flea can jump 200 times its body length, and despite it's size, can do a lot of damage to a human or animal.

The flea goes through four transformation stages, starting when the female lays her eggs. Adult fleas must feed on blood before they lay eggs. The four stages, starting from baby, are: egg, larva, pups, and imago. The eggs are usually laid in batches of 20, and are hatched in 2 weeks tops.

The flea has been thought to have been descended from the fly, because of similarities in looks. But in any case, whether fleas came from flies or not, they are dangerous bugs, both for animals, and for humans. ( Note: always check your pet if he/she has been outside. They could have ticks or fleas. Fleas will usually go into places near the tail and under the collar.)