What does a flea look like and what color is it? - briefly
Fleas are tiny, wingless insects about 1–3 mm long, with a laterally flattened, oval body covered in hard, bristle‑like setae. Their exoskeleton typically appears dark brown to reddish‑brown, varying slightly with species and age.
What does a flea look like and what color is it? - in detail
Fleas are wing‑less insects belonging to the order Siphonaptera. Their bodies are laterally compressed, giving a narrow, crab‑like silhouette that facilitates movement through the hair or feathers of a host. Adult specimens measure roughly 1.5 to 3.5 mm in length; the head is small and hidden beneath the pronotum, while the thorax bears powerful hind legs adapted for jumping, capable of propelling the insect up to 150 times its own body length.
The exoskeleton is covered with a fine, waxy cuticle that reduces water loss. Coloration ranges from reddish‑brown to dark brown, depending on species, age, and recent blood meals. Freshly emerged adults typically appear pale tan, darkening to a deeper brown after feeding. Some species, such as the rat flea (Xenopsylla cheopis), may display a mottled pattern with lighter and darker patches across the abdomen.
Key morphological features:
- Body shape: flattened laterally, streamlined for navigating host fur.
- Size: 1.5–3.5 mm (average 2 mm) in length, 0.5 mm in width.
- Legs: four pairs; hind legs enlarged with a resilin pad for elastic jumping.
- Antennae: short, tucked into grooves on the head.
- Mouthparts: piercing‑sucking stylet composed of a labrum, two maxillae, and a mandible, enabling blood extraction.
- Color: varies from light tan to dark brown; intensity increases after blood ingestion.
During development, larvae are blind, cream‑colored, and covered in bristles. They reside in the environment, feeding on organic debris rather than blood, and molt through three instars before pupating. The pupal stage produces a cocoon that may be brown or tan, matching the surrounding material.
Overall, fleas present a compact, dark‑hued body optimized for rapid locomotion and hematophagy, with coloration that reflects both species identity and feeding status.