BIOLOGICAL NOTES ON THE HEN FLEA, ECHIDNO- 
PHAGA GALLINACEA 1 
D. C. Parman, 
Entomological Assistant, Investigations of Insects Affecting the Health of Animals, 
Bureau of Entomology, United States Department of Agriculture 
With the considerable increase in poultry production in the Southwest 
the hen flea (Echidnophaga gallinacea Westwood) is becoming more and 
more of economic importance. For this reason a biological study of the 
flea has been made at Uvalde, Tex., as time has permitted and as oppor¬ 
tunity to obtain material has been presented. The work has consisted 
of observations on life history, seasonal abundance, and natural con¬ 
trol, and some investigations on artificial control. 
METHODS USED IN OBTAINING THE LIFE HISTORY 
. It was found very difficult to breed the fleas under laboratory condi¬ 
tions that would permit observation of individual development. The 
immature stages require an almost ideal condition for development. 
The degree of moisture in the breeding media must have a very narrow 
range of fluctuation, and the range of temperature within which the 
fleas will develop is probably rather narrow, although this point has not 
been very definitely determined. Apparently the optimum temperature 
ranges from 70° to 8o° F. 
For individuals or only a few specimens 5-gm. shell vials were used. 
Two cm. of fine dust screened from the floor of a chicken coop in which 
chickens heavily infested with the adult fleas were kept were placed in 
the tubes, care being used to obtain as much of the flea excreta as possible. 
This was collected by placing a heavy paper in the coop at night and 
removing it about sunrise the next morning The dlbris was then 
screened, and the screenings were examined for eggs. The tubes were 
closed by using a piece of sponge dipped in water, squeezed nearly dry, 
and stuffed loosely into the mouth of the tube. Pint Mason jars and 
tumblers holding about a half pint were used and filled about half full 
of the screenings. A moistened sponge was pinned to a muslin cover 
and suspended in the jar. It was unnecessary to use the sponge in larger 
containers unless the humidity was very low, but it was necessary to 
cover the container with a muslin cover rather than a close-fitting cover 
such as the glass top to the museum jars used. These jars were about 5 
inches in diameter and held about 3 quarts. 
INCUBATION 
The incubation period has been found to vary from a minimum of 4 
days to a maximum of 14 days, although the usual period is from 6 to 8 
days. The minimum period was obtained when the temperature was 
' Accepted lor publication June xa, X 9 aa. 
Journal of Agricultural Research. 
Washington. D. C. 
abj 
1007 
Vol. xxm, No. xs 
Mar. 34 ,1933 
Key No. K-xos 
