Off-host observations of mating and postmating behaviors in the cat flea (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae).

A blood meal was necessary for a male cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis (Bouché), to display the mating attempts to an unfed or fed female. More mating pairs resulted when both sexes were fed. Copulation occurred when fed fleas were placed on surfaces with temperatures from 34 to 42 degrees C. This article not only describes the mating and postmating behaviors of cat fleas, but also compares them with those of other fleas. The sequence of mating behavior began when a male approached a female ventrally, and the male's antennae and claspers became erect to attach to the abdomen of the female. Clasper attachment lasted until copulation ended, whereas the male retrieved his antennae immediately after genitalia linkage. The male generally grasped the female's tarsi with his claws during mating. The length of the mating interval terminated by the male ranged from 25 to 110 min and was significantly longer than that terminated by the female (averaging 12.11 min). After the mating pair separated, the male displayed a series of postmating behaviors discussed herein. This article documents grasping and postmating behaviors of the male cat flea.