~ FLEA  id+ | FLEEING INSECT |
~ FLEE  as in BOLT
        ESCAPE
        FLY
        TAKE OFF
        note scholars claim it is unrelated to
         ply> | A FLEA CAN FLEE |
~ FLEECE id+ | SKIN PELT also CHEAT or TO SKIN |
         hx> TO CUT or SHEAR WOOL or
  "TO SKIN" MOSTLY FIGURATIVELY as per
  DEFRAUD  CHEAT  BILK  DECEIVE  SWINDEL
  ply> | A FLEECE or PELT MAY BE FULL OF FLEAS |
  ply> | FLEECE FLEAS FLEE from DEFLEAING |
  sc> RESILIN a remarkable RESILIENT RESIN FOUND IN FLEAS
      more below
  myth> see> JASON and the GOLDEN FLEECE
  hx> THE FLEA IS AN INSECT WITH A REMARKABLE CAPACITY
      TO JUMP WHICH CAPTURED THE IMAGINATION AND SOME
  HUMAN EMPATHY       sug> SYMPATHY as in FLEA MARKET
  FLEABAG HOTEL  FLEA CIRCUS  etc
  DURING THIS CENTURY NEARLY 1900 SPECIES OF FLEA SPECIES
  WERE ADDED TO THE 100 or so ALREADY KNOWN
  HUMAN CURIOSITY ABOUT THIS INSECT IS INTENSE
  IT CAN JUMP 10 TIMES A MINUTE TO A HEIGHT OF SEVERAL FEET
  WHICH IS EQUIVALENT IN PROPORTION TO A HUMAN JUMP OF
  ABOUT 600 FEET AT AN ACCELERATION OF 140 TIMES OF GRAVITY
  WHILE HUMAN TOLERANCE IS BELOW 10  SUCH FEATS CAN NOT BE
  REPRODUCED BY MAMMALS
  lit+ the flea according to Teresa DECARLO [#] is
       " HAIRY LEGGED
         BLOOD SUCKING
         SEXUALLY PRODIGIOUS "
  art> "The Flea Catcher" c 1630 by Georges de LA TOUR [#]
       at the Musee Historiuqe Lorrain Nancy France depicts
  AN ORDINARY WOMAN RIDDING HERSELF OF FLEAS
  A COMMON BEDTIME RITUAL
  biol> ECTOPARASITIC INSECT or EXTERNAL PARASITE
         ins order SIPHONAPTERA               sug> SIPHON
  INSTEAD OF A SEGMENTED or BODY IN SECTIONS as in INSECT
  THE FLEA HAS A RATHER COMPACT BODY TO WITHSTAND GREAT
  G FORCES WHEN IT BOLTS or JUMPS
  FLEAS ARE HIGHLY SPECIALIZED as in CAT or DOG FLEA or
  CTENOCEPHALIDES FELIS or CANIS   other common FLEAS are
  those that PARASITIZE THE EUROPEAN CHICKEN
  WESTERN CHICKEN  MOUSE  SQUIRREL  etc  note that about
  74% OF FLEAS PARASITIZE RODENTS AND 6% BIRDS WHILE
  THE REMAINING 20% PARASITIZE A BROAD SPECTRUM OF ORGANISMS
  THEIR SEXUAL AND GENITAL EVOLUTION IS UNIQUE AND COMPLEX
  PENETRATION REQUIRES MANY MINUTES AND A SINGLE COPULATION
  MAY LAST UP TO NINE HOURS
  THE SEXUAL ACTIVITY OF FLEAS MAY BE REGULATED BY THE SEXUAL
  HORMONES OF THE HOST  SOME FLEAS MATE ONLY AFTER THE HOST
  ENTERS "IN HEAT" or BECOMES PREGNANT
  FLEAS MAY PREFER FEMALES FOR THEIR CIRCULATING HORMONES
  A JUMP OF A FLEA IS ACCOMPLISHED IN A FLASH      sug> BOLT
  or in LESS THAN 1/500 OF A SECOND
  THERE ARE NO MUSCLES NOR PROTEINS CAPABLE OF SUCH RAPID
  RELEASE OF ENERGY BY EXPANSION OR CONTRACTION
  THE FLEA COMPRESSES ITS HIND LEGS AGAINST A
  BALL OF VERY ELASTIC MATERIAL COMPOSED OF RESILIN
  sc> RESILIN IS THE MOST EFFICIENT ELASTIC SUBSTANCE KNOWN
      A PROTEIN MORE ELASTIC THAN RUBBER etc     RESIN
  RESILIN IS ALSO FOUND IN FLYING INSECTS
  med> 20 SPECIES OF FLEAS CAN PARASITIZE HUMANS
       the HUMAN FLEA or PULEX IRRITANS is quite ANNOYING
       in sp    PULGA   = FLEA from
  lat POLLEX or PULICA    FLEA
  sp            PULGAR    THUMB  ITS NAIL IS USED TO CRUSH THEM
                PULGADA   ONE TWELFTH OF A FOOT
  THE PLAGUE IS TRANSMITTED BY VARIOUS RAT FLEAS INCLUDING
  XENOPSYLLA  CHEOPSIS = ORIENTAL RAT FLEA
  NOSOPSYLLUS FASCIATUS  COMMON RAT FLEA and others
  the above was compiled from various sources  note [48] also note
  "The Complete Flea" by Brendan LEHANE [#] Viking Press 1969
  ply> | A RESILIENT RESIDENT FLEA CAN RESOLVE TO RESIST
         WITH GOOD RESULT  FLEEING OR FLYING BY RESORTING
         TO RESILIN |

| Tags and Abbreviations Explained |