Some Abiotic Factors Affecting the Survival of the Cat Flea, Ctenocephalides felis (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae)
Abstract
Some abiotic environmental factors influencing the survival of the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis (Bouché), in semi-arid and temperature climates were studied. Pupae survived outdoors throughout most of the year except July and August, when temperatures often exceeded 35°C. As temperatures increased, the time required to kill larvae exposed to 12 and 33% relative humidity (RH) decreased. At 27°C, 16-h exposures to 12% RH and 24-h exposures to 33% RH provided 100 and 97% mortality, respectively. Larvae survived only when the RH was >50% for several consecutive days or the microhabitats provided substantially higher than ambient humidity. Soil moistures of 1 to 10% permitted larval development even when larvae were held at 12 ± 2% RH. Soil moistures from 20 to 50% were deleterious. Emerged and preemerged adults survived short exposures to low temperatures but were killed by 10-day or 5-day exposures at 3 and −1°C, respectively. Exposures to 3°C for 5 days killed all immature stages.
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Temperatures >35°C and <3°C, in combination with a relative humidity <33%, may impair flea development.
“Temperatures >35°C and <3°C, in combination with a relative humidity <33%, may impair flea development [59-61].”
From Fleas infesting pets in the era of emerging extra-intestinal nematodes (2013) · cites this paper as [61]
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- Authors
- Silverman, J., & Rust, M. K.
- Affiliations
- University of California, Riverside (US)
- Corresponding author
- Silverman, Jules
- ORCID
- Silverman, Jules
- Venue
- Environmental Entomology
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 1983-04-01
- Volume
- 12
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 490-495
- ISSN
- 0046-225X (ISSN-L)
- 1938-2936
- OpenAlex
- W2314094858
- Cited by
- 47
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 1 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 0.00
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Environmental Entomology (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Johns Hopkins University
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Yersinia bacterium, plague, ectoparasites research
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Physiological and biochemical adaptations
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › Dermatological diseases and infestations
- Keywords
- Ctenocephalides felis, abiotic factors, temperature effects, relative humidity, soil moisture, larval mortality, pupae, adult survival, semi-arid climate, flea control
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