Ctenocephalides canis

Luis Fernández García

Hosts

Dogs, cats, rabbits, rats, foxes and humans

Identification

C. canis is very similar to C.felis. The first genal spine is 0.5 times the length of the second, and C. canis has a more rounded head than C. felis.

Life Cycle

Again, very similar to C. felis. The eggs are produced soon after arrival on the host. The then hatch into larvae, which undergo two moults before entering the pupae stage. The pupae may remain dormant for a year or longer, and are stimulated to hatch by mechanical stimuli such as vibrations.

Under suitable conditions, the complete life cycle can take as little as 3 weeks.

• Host specific

• Both genal and pronotal commbs present

• Irregular length genal spines

• The first genal spine is 0.5 times the length of the second

• Rounded nose