Archaeopsylla erinacei

Also known as:

Hedgehog flea

Scientific Classification

Class	Insecta
Order	Siphonaptera
Family	Pulicide

Hosts

Hedgehogs, cats and dogs.

Identification

The adults are 2-3.5mm in length. They have anything from 1-3 genal combs, and a pronotal comb.

See general flea structure.

Life Cycle

Before the female lays eggs, it must first have several large blood feeds on the host. It then lays its eggs on the host, which shortly hatch into larvae. The larvae undergo three transformations, before entering the pupae stages. They then finally become fully reproductive females.

They spend most of their life cycle on the host.

See general flea life cycle.

References

Taylor, M.A, Coop, R.L., Wall,R.L. (2007) Veterinary Parasitology Blackwell Publishing