Editing Flea (section)

=== Adult ===
Once the flea reaches adulthood, its primary goal is to find blood and then to reproduce.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/IG087 |title=Fleas |author1=Koehler, P.G. |author2=Pereira, R.M. |author3=Diclaro, J.W. |publisher=Edis.ifas.ufl.edu |access-date=11 November 2016}}</ref> Female fleas can lay 5000 or more eggs over their life, permitting rapid increase in numbers.<ref name="loc.gov">{{cite web|url=https://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/flea.html |title=How long is the life span of a flea? |work=Everyday Mysteries: Fun Science Facts from the Library of Congress |publisher=Loc.gov |date=2 July 2013 |access-date=11 November 2016}}</ref> Generally speaking, an adult flea only lives for 2 or 3 months. Without a host to provide a blood meal, a flea's life can be as short as a few days. Under ideal conditions of temperature, food supply, and humidity, adult fleas can live for up to a year and a half.<ref name="loc.gov"/> Completely developed adult fleas can live for several months without eating, so long as they do not emerge from their [[puparium|puparia]]. Optimum temperatures for the flea's life cycle are {{convert|21|to|30|C|F}} and optimum humidity is 70%.<ref name="Piper, Ross 2007"/>

Adult female rabbit fleas, ''[[Spilopsyllus cuniculi]]'', can detect the changing levels of [[cortisol]] and [[corticosterone]] hormones in the rabbit's blood that indicate it is getting close to giving birth. This triggers sexual maturity in the fleas and they start producing eggs. As soon as the baby rabbits are born, the fleas make their way down to them and once on board they start feeding, mating, and laying eggs. After 12 days, the adult fleas make their way back to the mother. They complete this mini-migration every time she gives birth.<ref name="Piper, Ross 2007">[[Ross Piper|Piper, Ross]] (2007), ''Extraordinary Animals: An Encyclopedia of Curious and Unusual Animals'', [[Greenwood Press]].</ref>