The cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis felis (Bouché, 1835) as an intermediate host for cestodes

The growth and development of Dipylidium caninum, Hymenolepis citelli, H. diminuta, H. microstoma, and H. nana were examined in Ctenocephalides felis, and the Hymenolepis species further examined in the reference host Tribolium confusum. This is the first recorded infection of C. felis with these four species of Hymenolepis and also of a flea with H. citelli.Growth and development of the four species of Hymenolepis were comparable in C. felis and T. confusum. Observations relative to scolex formation indicated that perhaps only one basic sequence occurs in the genus Hymenolepis.Growth and metamorphosis of the flea host had no important effects upon Hymenolepis development. However, presumably owing to greater crowding in C. felis than in T. confusum, an increased amount of retarded development was noted in cestodes from fleas. In contrast, the growth and metamorphosis of the flea host did affect the development of D. caninum. Little growth occurred in larval fleas but with the onset of pupation an increased growth rate was initiated, the cestode reaching almost its maximum size prior to the emergence of the adult flea. Cysticercoid differentiation and maturation mostly occurred within the adult.