Effect of juvenile hormone and juvenile hormone mimics on sperm transfer from the testes of the male cat flea (Siphonaptera:Pulicidae).

Sperm transfer into the epididymis was completed without a blood meal, when newly emerged male cat fleas. Ctenocephalides felis (Bouché), were exposed to filter papers treated with juvenile hormone III or the juvenile hormone mimics fenoxycarb, methoprene, or pyriproxyfen. As the concentration of juvenile hormone or the time of flea exposure to juvenile hormone or the juvenile hormone mimics increased, the percentage of fleas that transferred sperm also increased. The percentage of pyriproxyfen-treated males that transferred sperm reached 100% after 3 d: whereas, 7 d exposure to juvenile hormone, fenoxycarb and methoprene was required for 100% of the males to transfer sperm. Although sperm were present in the epididymis of treated fleas, insemination of females did not take place off the host either on juvenile hormone-treated filter paper or on juvenile hormone-treated dog hair.