4.3 Article

A Population Study of the Culicoides Biting Midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in Urban, Rural, and Forested Sites in a Cerrado Area of Northeastern Brazil

Journal

ANNALS OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA
Volume 106, Issue 4, Pages 463-470

Publisher

OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC
DOI: 10.1603/AN12047

Keywords

Culicoides paraensis; Culicoides insignis; Brazilian Savannah; Brazil; Maranhao

Categories

Funding

  1. A C.P. Alexander Grant

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Culicoides biting midges are medically important haematophagous flies that transmit diseases to animals and humans. This work deals with the basic ecology of Culicoides populations in northeastern Brazil. Adult biting midge populations in and around urban and rural communities were sampled monthly from September 2007 to October 2008 with light traps. In total, 10,803 Culicoides midges representing 17 species were collected. The most frequently collected species were Culicoides paucienfuscatus (83%), Culicoides leopoldoi (12%), Culicoides insignis (2%), and Culicoides paraensis (1%). Trap catches and species diversity were highest in chicken shelters at both urban and rural sites, followed by pigsties. The Culicoides fauna is composed chiefly of species broadly distributed in the Neotropics. Domestic animals are important factors for attracting and maintaining biting midge populations in peridomiciliary areas, especially C. paucienfuscatus. Further work is needed to better understand abiotic and biotic factors affecting Culicoides populations of northeastern Brazil.

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