Flea

The Flea is a bug in the introduced in. They can be found on villagers from spring to early winter. In, Fleas are more common than they are in the previous Animal Crossing games. They appear as black, hopping specks.

When villagers have Fleas, their catchphrase changes to one of a variety of catchphrases, such as "eesh itchy" or "yowiezowie," which indicates that they are itchy. This catchphrase changes each time it is used in dialogue. Once the Flea has been caught, the villager that played host to it will give a response, usually one of denial, shock, or gratitude, depending on their personality.

In
In, Fleas cannot appear on alligator, anteater, duck, elephant, frog, hippo, octopus, penguin, or rhino villagers. They also cannot appear on villagers with normal or snooty personalities.

Donating to the museum
As with all insects in the, the Flea can be donated to the museum, followed by a small talk by Blathers, the curator.

In
When donating to Blathers in, he will provide the following information about the bug:

"Heed my words, ! Bathe often! Wash yourself thoroughly! And shampoo regularly! Allow yourself to become filthy, and fleas move in! Blech! The very IDEA... Now I feel itchy."

The Flea can be found near the pond in the first room of the insect exhibit after donation.

In
When donating to Blathers in, he will provide the following information about the bug:

"Hoo now, have you ever had a chance to look at a flea up close and personal? They're utterly noisome! Especially vulgar are their flattened bodies, which allow them to wriggle into all sorts of places. Oh, mercy, I may need to sit on the floor for a moment. All this talk of fleas makes me feel rather woozy."

Once donated, Fleas appear as a barely-visible speck, bouncing around on the path on the central terrace in the insect exhibit.

In
The Flea can be found bouncing around on the upper-left room of the bug exhibit. The following description is given to them:

"Fleas are tiny insects that feed on blood from humans and animals, which then results in an itchy rash. They use their piercing mouths to suck blood and saliva at the same time. Unlike mosquitoes, both males and females suck blood. The females are larger than the males."

In
When donating to Blathers or selecting "Tell me about this!" in, he will provide the following information about the bug:

"Allow me to be blunt. The flea is foul! It is also disgusting, repugnant, and vile! Hoo! But I digress... This horrid pest sucks the blood of humans and animals. In fact, it is the flea ' s own saliva that makes us itch! And did you know their legs are so strong, they can jump more than 50 times their body length? So you see, it's all too easy for a flea to jump from you to me! I itch at the very thought. "

Real-world information
The human flea, Pulex irritans, is a widespread species of flea that is thought to have originated from South America. Despite the name, they are found on all manner of birds and mammals, including dogs, pigs, chickens, monkeys and even some species of bat. They have powerful legs that can be used to jump incredible heights: roughly 200 times their body length.

Fleas feed on blood. After feeding, females lay eggs on the skin or hair of the host animal. A single flea can have over 500 offspring in its lifetime, which live in the host's bedding feeding on dust and dried blood excreted by their parents after feeding.