Fleas And Lice

This group gathers Insects subcategory members belonging to two small, wingless, ectoparasitic or near-parasitic orders grouped here on a shared basis, life spent living directly on or very close to a host animal. The fleas, order Siphonaptera, are blood-feeding parasites of mammals and birds, flattened side to side for moving easily through fur or feathers and equipped with powerful hind legs that let them jump many times their own body length to reach a host or escape a threat. The true lice, order Phthiraptera, spend their entire life cycle on a single host, some species feeding on blood and others on skin debris and feather fragments, while the booklice, order Psocoptera, are free-living relatives that instead feed on mold, fungal spores and organic debris in damp, undisturbed places such as old books and stored grain.