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Anterior end.
The cat flea is cosmopolitan in distribution and the genus is recognized for bearing genal
and pronotal combs. The sloping forehead is the hallmark of C.f.felis. The forehead
of Ctenocephalides canis is more rounded. |

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Hind tibia.
The distribution of setae on the hind tibia supplies another diagnostic criterion. Between
the postmedian and apical long setae on the trailing edge of the hind tibia of Ctenocephalides
felis felis there is one notch that bears a short stout spine. |

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Second instar cat flea larvae.
The larvae of all three instars feed principally on the feces of the adult flea which is
only slightly digested dried host's blood and, until the larva is about to pupate, it
keeps its gut full of it. |

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Third instar cat flea larva.
The larvae moults twice, the final instar being about 5.0 mm long. At the end of its
development, the larva empties the gut and spins a whitish, loose, ovoid cocoon, and
becomes a pupa. |

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Cat flea pupae.
When fully grown, the third instar larva stop eating, empties its digestive tract, and
spins a silken cocoon. In nature, such cocoons may be camouflaged with particles of debris
such as sand grains and bits of flea feces, which tends to stick to the cocoon and neatly
encasing it. |

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Teased open pupal case showing one pupa in more advanced metamorphosis.
During the pupal period which lasts about a week, the wormlike larva is almost completely
resorbed and made over into the six-legged adult flea. |

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Adult flea removed from the cocoon.
At the end of the pupal period, a white, adult flea becomes recognizable in form and
gradually darkens through tanning of its exoskeleton. |