Tunga penetrans

Morphology

• Insect: Three part body (head/thorax /abdomen) and 6 legs
• oval insects
• laterally compressed
• Very small (1 mm)
• No wings
• Holometabolous development
• Three pairs of legs (hind legs for jumping)
• and a triangular head
• Both females and males feed on blood
• Not host-specific
• Immediately leave dead hosts (reservoirs) 
• Live in sandy soils

Life cycle:

• Complete metamorphosis (holometabol development) from egg to pupae 23-47 days 
• Female lays 20-25 eggs per day
• Only adults are blood feeder, become 1 ½ years old
• Eggs, larvae and pupae are found on the ground or in bedsteads (larvae feed on organic material)
• Adult flea emerge from the cocoon by an outside stimuli (vibrations, sound, heat, carbon dioxide)
• Distribution: Caribbean, South America, Africa (south of the Sahara)

Diseases

• Not disease vectors but painful as they embed in the skin

Prevention:

• Wearing shoes