Influence of Bloodmeal Host on Blood Feeding, Egg Production, and Offspring Sex Ratio of Ctenocephalides felis felis (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae).
The cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis felis (Bouché), feeds on different host species, causing annoyance or transmitting disease agents. In this study, the influence of the host of the cat flea on blood feeding, egg production, and sex ratio of the offspring was investigated. Two strains of C. felis were domesticated on either rats or mice for >10 yr in the laboratory, and in this study, these fleas were placed in the following groups and fed on rats or mice continuously: Group A (rat-domesticated C. felis with rats as host); Group B (rat-domesticated C. felis with mice as host); Group C (mouse-domesticated C. felis with rats as host); and Group D (mouse-domesticated C. felis with mice as host). In total, 240 adult fleas were in each group at a sex ratio of female:male = 1.7:1. The mean egg production per flea of Groups A, B, C, and D was 55.0, 19.2, 62.5, and 13.2, respectively. A significant correlation between egg production and the volume of blood consumed was detected for Groups A, B, C, and D. The sex ratio (F:M) of the offspring in Groups A and C was 2.07 and 2.11, respectively, whereas in Groups B and D, the ratio was 1.04 and 1.03, respectively. In conclusion, the C. felis with rats as host consumed more blood, produced more eggs, and had higher sex ratios of the offspring than those with mice as the host.
State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, WHO Collaborating Centre for Vector Surveillance and Management, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 155 Changbai Rd., Changping District, Beijing, China 102206 (wang.yiguan@163.com; 824109602@qq.com; liuqiyong@icdc.cn; scnanx@163.com; 864895326@qq.com; 897489793@qq.com; mengfengxia@icdc.cn).
Wang
W
Yiguan
State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, WHO Collaborating Centre for Vector Surveillance and Management, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 155 Changbai Rd., Changping District, Beijing, China 102206 (wang.yiguan@163.com; 824109602@qq.com; liuqiyong@icdc.cn; scnanx@163.com; 864895326@qq.com; 897489793@qq.com; mengfengxia@icdc.cn).|The Base for Control and Prevention of Plague and Brucellosis, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 85 Haiming West Rd, Baicheng, Jilin Province, China 137000 (524507525@qq.com).
Tian
T
Jie
State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, WHO Collaborating Centre for Vector Surveillance and Management, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 155 Changbai Rd., Changping District, Beijing, China 102206 (wang.yiguan@163.com; 824109602@qq.com; liuqiyong@icdc.cn; scnanx@163.com; 864895326@qq.com; 897489793@qq.com; mengfengxia@icdc.cn).
Liu
L
Qiyong
State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, WHO Collaborating Centre for Vector Surveillance and Management, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 155 Changbai Rd., Changping District, Beijing, China 102206 (wang.yiguan@163.com; 824109602@qq.com; liuqiyong@icdc.cn; scnanx@163.com; 864895326@qq.com; 897489793@qq.com; mengfengxia@icdc.cn).
Shi
S
Cannan
State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, WHO Collaborating Centre for Vector Surveillance and Management, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 155 Changbai Rd., Changping District, Beijing, China 102206 (wang.yiguan@163.com; 824109602@qq.com; liuqiyong@icdc.cn; scnanx@163.com; 864895326@qq.com; 897489793@qq.com; mengfengxia@icdc.cn).
Kai
K
Wenlong
State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, WHO Collaborating Centre for Vector Surveillance and Management, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 155 Changbai Rd., Changping District, Beijing, China 102206 (wang.yiguan@163.com; 824109602@qq.com; liuqiyong@icdc.cn; scnanx@163.com; 864895326@qq.com; 897489793@qq.com; mengfengxia@icdc.cn).
Duan
D
Henglu
The Base for Control and Prevention of Plague and Brucellosis, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 85 Haiming West Rd, Baicheng, Jilin Province, China 137000 (524507525@qq.com).
Xu
X
Cheng
Laboratory Animal Center, Office of Laboratory Management, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China 102206 (zhangwz-007@163.com).
Zhang
Z
Wenzhu
Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China 210095 (fajunchen@njau.edu.cn), and.
Chen
C
Fajun
State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, WHO Collaborating Centre for Vector Surveillance and Management, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 155 Changbai Rd., Changping District, Beijing, China 102206 (wang.yiguan@163.com; 824109602@qq.com; liuqiyong@icdc.cn; scnanx@163.com; 864895326@qq.com; 897489793@qq.com; mengfengxia@icdc.cn), mengfengxia@icdc.cn.
Meng
M
Fengxia
D000818:Animals; D058251:Ctenocephalides / Q000502:physiology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D020387:Food Chain; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D007300:Insect Control / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice / Q000469:parasitology; D010058:Oviposition; D051381:Rats / Q000469:parasitology; D012744:Sex Ratio
Ctenocephalides felis; blood feeding; egg production; host; sex ratio