Do Fleas Have Wings?
WouterAlthough fleas do not have wings, they have a jump-like mechanism, and this allows them to jump onto a moving pet or a small animal. Their hind legs are also strong, allowing them to jump up to 35cm horizontally and 18cm vertically. As a result, fleas can jump high enough to reach humans.
While the term “flea” is used to refer to a group of insects, fleas are actually a subfamily of Aptera, a family of flying insects. Although modern fleas are wingless, scientists believe that their ancestors once had wings. There are also certain species of ectoparasites with wings, known as Mecoptera.
In the early days of flea evolution, they were able to fly. However, when they became resident parasites, they remained attached to a host for their entire life. However, they still had many of the structures of a flying insect, including its pleural arch, the hinge ligament of a wing. This arch is lined with a protein called resillin, which acts like a rubber band and stores energy necessary for leaping.
While flea larvae do not fly, they are able to jump, and they do this to get closer to their food source and a safe place to rest. However, don’t confuse a flea with a fruit fly. If you find any winged insects on your pet, they’re probably not fleas, but they could be fruit flies or gnats. These insects may look like small specks in the dust.
