Leptoconops (Holoconops) kerteszi Kieffer (Diptera Ceratopogonidae) in the coastal area of Grosseto: eco-ethological aspects

Multi-year observations on the life-cycle of Leptoconops (Holoconops) kerteszi Kieffer (Diptera Ceratopogonidae) were carried out in the coastal areas of Grosseto (Italy). In the studied environment, most of the populations complete two generations within a year. Overwintering is assured by the larvae. Using a simple and functional sampling technique of preimaginal stages, we obtained a general overview of L. (H.) kerteszi breeding sites. L. (H.) kerteszi is generally found in coastal swampy areas, where the species colonizes a sandy shore that is devoid of vegetation and remains constantly damp as saltwater ascends by capillarity. Larvae living in the first centimeter of the shallow sandy layer. Such sites occur in interdunal sandy areas bordering the ponds closest to the seashore and also in tongues of sand along the edges of the ponds beyond the dunes, a little further inland.