This report constitutes the first study of Culicoides spp. and their seasonal abundance at Al-Ahsa, the largest oasis in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. New Jersey light traps were used to collect the midges at Mastock farm and Al-Mansura village. The mean monthly abundance was determined from October 1993 to October 1994. The mean monthly number per trap reached its minimum value during ...

Biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae: Culicoides) along the coast of Florida are a severe biting nuisance that can impede outdoor activities. Methods currently available for midge control limited due to environmentally sensitive larval habitats and lack adulticide techniques area-wide population suppression.Homeowners live protect their homes with use fine- meshed window screens fans, coarse...

A new species of the Culicoides reticulatus species group, Culicoides kuripako Felippe-Bauer, is described and illustrated based on females and male specimens from the states of Amazonas and Pará, Brazil. The new species is compared with its similar sympatric congener, Culicoides paucienfuscatus Barbosa.

The aim of this paper is to consolidate vector competence studies on Culicoides midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) as vectors of bluetongue virus (BTV) done over a period 25 years at the ARC‑Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute in South Africa. In 1944, it was demonstrated for the first time in South Africa that Culicoides midges transmit BTV. In 1991, field‑collected Culicoides imicola were fed o...

Fifty-eight Culicoides species were recorded in Israel, the Golan Heights, and Sinai. Culicoides arabiensis and C. near iranica were recorded for the first time. Culicoides kurensis was identified instead of the misidentified C. badooshensis. Of the Culicoides species that appeared as distinct species in previous publications, it is now recognized that C. subravus is a synonym of C. ravus, C. c...

To implement risk management against diseases transmitted by Culicoides species Latreille, 1809 (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) it will be essential to identify all potential vectors. Light traps are the most commonly used tool for the collection of Culicoides midges. Taking into account the indiscriminative artificial attraction of light, these traps will collect all night flying insects and not on...

Bluetongue, Schmallenberg and African horse sickness viruses are transmitted by vectors belonging to the genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). Among this genus, species of the Obsoletus complex play a crucial role in Europe. In Italy the complex includes three species: Culicoides obsoletus sensu strictu, Culicoides scoticus and Culicoides montanus. These three sibling species were identi...

The emergence of bluetongue disease in Europe has led several countries to rapidly establish large-scale entomological surveys of its vectors, which are midges belonging to the genus Culicoides Latreille, 1809 (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). These surveys have largely been based on the use of Onderstepoort-type blacklight traps. However, the range of attraction of the traps and the spatial dependen...

The aim of this study was to describe the breeding sites of Culicoides species in Konya province, Turkey. The samples taken from 11 different habitats in Konya province were examined for Culicoides species. The collected adult Culicoides specimens were reared in plastic buckets in our laboratory. Among 2,798 specimens reared, 18 species were identified. Culicoides circumscriptus Kieffer, 1918 w...

Feeding success of free-living hematophagous insects depends on their ability to be active when hosts are available and to reach places where hosts are accessible. When the hematophagous insect is a vector of pathogens, determining the components of host-seeking behavior is of primary interest for the assessment of transmission risk. Our aim was to describe endo/exophagy and circadian host-seek...