Historic Japanese Flea and other insects

The above image of a flea is part of Kenbikyō Mushi No Zu (”Illustrations of Microscopic Insects”), a scroll published in 1860. The scroll contains paintings of a series of insects and seen through a microscope.

The Tohoku University Library houses the original copy of the Kenbikyō Mushi No Zu scroll.

Source: Stephen Reinhardt of Tessella Zine and edo of Pink Tentacle

Japanese Flea Poem

Fleas! Lice!
A horse peeing By my pillow

--Basho, seventeenth century Japanese poet, staying at a roadside inn.
(Translated by R.Toby)

from "Bugs in the system" by May R. Berenbaum