[Last Modified: ]
[Ctenocephalides canis] [Ctenocephalides felis] [Pulex irritans] [Xenopsylla cheopis]

Pulex irritans is known as the human flea.  Adults are 1-4 mm in length and laterally-compressed.  They lack both genal and pronotal combs (ctenidia) and the ocular setae are below the eye.  The frons is broadly-rounded.  This species is not an efficient vector of any flea-borne diseases, but its bite can cause allergic reactions due to salivary proteins.

A	B

A, B: The human flea, P. irritans.  Figure B shows a close-up of the head region; note a lack of genal and pronotal combs.  Images courtesy of Parasite and Diseases Image Library, Australia (http://www.padil.gov.au/).