Effect of Temperature on Cat Flea (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) Development and Overwintering

Abstract

Cat fleas, Ctenocephalides felis (Bouché), were reared at different temperatures to examine further the effects on egg-to-adult development and emergence of adults from cocoons. Three different temperatures (26.7, 21.1, and 15.5 degrees C) were used to rear fleas. Emergence of adults from cocoons was monitored using 2 experimental designs-cocoons maintained in groups and cocoons individually isolated. At cooler temperatures, cocoons kept in groups had a higher incidence of late-emerging adults than did individual cocoons. At 15.5 degrees C, adults continued to emerge from grouped cocoons up to 80 d after all had emerged from individual cocoons. Developmental time of prepupae and pupae was determined by inhibiting cocoon formation of late 3rd instars. Male prepupae and pupae developed approximately 20% slower than did females. Comparisons between emergence of adults from cocoons and from naked pupae indicate that a large percentage of adults emerge from cocoons soon after molting. The possible association of developmental temperatures and emergence from cocoons with overwintering populations is discussed.

Immune response to fleas in a wild desert rodent: effect of parasite species, parasite burden, sex of host and host parasitological experience

“…Fleas were obtained from our laboratory colonies started in 1998-2001 from field-collected specimens on M. crassus (X. c. mycerini and X. ramesis) and G. a. allenbyi (S. c. pyramidis) using rearing procedures similar to those described by Metzger and Rust (1997). An individual rodent host was placed in a cage (60·cm×50·cm×40·cm) that contained a steel nest box with a screen floor and a pan containing a mixture of sand and dried bovine blood (nutrient medium for larvae).…”

Is abundance a species attribute? An example with haematophagous ectoparasites

“…Stanko et al 2006) among diVerent species of the same parasite taxa depending on species-speciWc reproductive rate and seasonality. In addition, the dependence of survival and, consequently, abundance of parasites on spatially variable abiotic factors has been reported for both endo- (Galaktionov 1996) and ectoparasites (Metzger and Rust 1997). However, in spite of the strong dependence of parasite population parameters on extrinsic factors and, therefore, the expected spatial variation of these parameters, species-speciWc features of parasites such as body size and egg production could constrain this variation (Poulin 1999).…”

The effect of substrate on survival and development of two species of desert fleas (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae)

“…Previously, the shorter period of female development was reported only for pupal stages of Ctenocephalides felis (Bouché, 1835) (see Hudson & Prince, 1958;Metzger & Rust, 1997). Metzger & Rust (1997) suggested that this prevents inbreeding of fleas from the same cohort.…”

“…Previously, the shorter period of female development was reported only for pupal stages of Ctenocephalides felis (Bouché, 1835) (see Hudson & Prince, 1958;Metzger & Rust, 1997). Metzger & Rust (1997) suggested that this prevents inbreeding of fleas from the same cohort. However, we mentioned earlier that the time difference between female and male development rate seems to be too small, albeit significant, for this explanation to be reasonable (Krasnov et al, 2001b).…”

“…F lea eggs were obtained from a laboratory colony of fleas started from field-collected specimens on M. crassus using the rearing procedures following by Silverman et al (1981) and Metzger & Rust (1997).…”