The Flea Life Cycle Diagram

This is the fleas life cycle diagram of Ctenocephalides. This flea life cycle drawing would also apply to range of other flea types. Flea life cycle diagram: This is a diagram of the flea lifecycle as it applies to the majority of flea species types. The flea lifecycle diagram is divided into two sections: a white section and a grey section, which represent respectively the stages of the flea life cycle that occur on the host animal’s skin (in this case: the dog’s skin) and in the host animal’s environment (in this case: the carpet of the house, the dog’s bedding, the dog’s kennel and so on). The timing of the various flea lifecycle stages: Egg – The flea egg hatches in 2-21 days, depending on environmental conditions. Three larval stages – The larval stages grow and undergo their moults over about 9-15 days. The pupal stage (cocoon) – The cocoon is the crux of flea infestation persistence in the house-hold. It generally hatches in 1-2 weeks, but can last up to a year. The adult flea – Adult fleas can live for some weeks (maximum of about 2 months if no host is present) in ideal, cool, moist conditions. This particular diagram illustrates the life cycle of the dog or cat flea (Ctenocephalides canis and C. felis), however, the diagram would also be appropriate to a vast range of other flea types, including: Echidnophaga gallinacea (the poultry “sticktight” flea – discussed in the paragraph below); the rabbit fleas – Cediopsylla simplex and Spilopsyllus cuniculi; the rat flea (Xenopsylla cheopis); the human flea (Pulex irritans) and various other flea species. The main difference between these other flea life cycle situations and that of Ctenocephalides (pictured) would be the host animal species infested by the flea (e.g. the rabbit host instead of the dog for Cediopsylla simplex and Spilopsyllus cuniculi) and the nature of the environment in which the flea larvae and pupal stages underwent development (e.g. the dirt rabbit burrow instead of the household carpet in the case of Cediopsylla simplex and Spilopsyllus cuniculi). Author’s note – In the case of Echidnophaga gallinacea, the poultry stickfast or sticktight flea, the male and female fleas mate in the flea’s environment (soon after hatching from their pupal cocoons), not on the host itself as occurs with many other flea species. After mating has occurred, the female flea attaches herself strongly to the skin of a passing animal host and remains in that one place for about 6 weeks, feeding and laying eggs. She does not move from the spot she has chosen. The eggs she produces drop from the animal host’s skin and into the soil environment where they undergo hatching, a 2-4 week larval development period and pupation. Echidnophaga pupation occurs in a burrow underground and hatching of the adult flea occurs in around 2-3 weeks. The total Echidnophaga flea lifecycle is about 4-6 weeks long.