In-vitro studies on biology of Ctenocephalides orientis fleas infesting sheep and goat

Abstract

An in-vitro rearing of Ctenocephalides orientis was carried out to study the complete biology under laboratory conditions of 25 ± 2 oC temperature and relative humidity of 72 ± 2 percent. Holometabola type of lifecycle was observed in C. orientis and completed its life cycle in 31.5 ± 13.5 days from eggs to emergence of adults. The eggs were hatched in 3 ± 1 days, each larval instar took 5 ± 1 days to moult to the next stage, pre-pupal stages were formed in next 4 ± 3 days, development of pre-pupal to pupal stage completed in 2.5 ± 1.5 days and adult fleas emerged from pupal stage in next 10 ± 5 days. When the pre-pupa within the cocoon was disturbed by external factors like handling, they exited from the cocoon and developed into naked pupae. Newly emerged and fed C. orientis survived for a period of 6.5 ± 3.5 days and 24 ± 1 hrs without blood meal respectively.