Which statement about fleas is true?

• A. The body is laterally compressed
• B. They have wings
• C. They are detritivores
• D. They are not parasites

Answer: (A)

Fleas are wingless insects that live as ectoparasites on mammals and birds. Their bodies are flattened from side to side (laterally compressed), which helps them move quickly through fur or feathers and makes it harder for a host to rub them off. This side-to-side flattening also aids their ability to jump between hosts. They do not have wings, so any statement claiming they have wings is incorrect. As adults, fleas feed on the host’s blood, not detritus, so describing them as detritivores isn’t accurate for their primary role. They are parasites, not free-living detritivores. That combination of wingless, laterally compressed bodies and blood-feeding parasitism is what makes the first statement correct.