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Culicoides
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<h2 id="notable-taxa">Notable taxa</h2> <p>The <a href="/facts/Systematics/fagPXIkh">systematics</a> and <a href="/facts/Taxonomy_(biology)/Qkg8wuyw">taxonomy</a> of this genus are confused. A large number of species are of unknown relation to those that have been assigned to <a href="/facts/Subgenus/csbIQaGC">subgenera</a> already. Furthermore, many subgenera are sometimes elevated to full genus status, or additional genera (such as <i>Paradasyhelea</i>) are included as subgenera herein. </p><p>A widely cited, periodically updated, subgeneric classification of species of <i>Culicoides</i> begins with the warning that the traditional approach to classification of species in this genus has led to "<a href="/facts/Phylogenetic/bw4rsovt">phylogenetic</a> chaos". Some of the specific consequences are mentioned, as well as recommendations for future work.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a> A molecular phylogeny based on 42 species from 3 continents was proposed in 2017.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a> In this work, the authors found that the subgenera <i>Monoculicoides</i>, <i>Culicoides</i>, <i>Haematomyidium</i>, <i>Hoffmania</i>, <i>Remmia</i> and <i>Avaritia</i> (including the main vectors of <a href="/facts/Bluetongue_virus/chKqqeLX">bluetongue virus</a> disease) were monophyletic, whereas the subgenus <i>Oecacta</i> was paraphyletic. The study validated the subgenus <i>Remmia</i> (= Schultzei group) as a valid subgenus, outside of the subgenus <i>Oecacta</i>. The authors also considered that in Europe, <i><a href="/facts/Culicoides_obsoletus/BmcTVlMS">Culicoides obsoletus</a></i>, <i>Culicoides scoticus</i> and <i>Culicoides chiopterus</i> should be part of the <i>Obsoletus</i> complex whereas <i>Culicoides dewulfi</i> should be excluded from this complex. The authors concluded that the current <i>Culicoides</i> classification needed to be revisited with modern tools.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> </p> <ul><li>Subgenus <i>Avaritia</i></li></ul> <ul><li><ul><li><i>Culicoides brevitarsis</i> - suspected as vector of <a href="/facts/Akabane_virus/rKqNMDWQ">Akabane</a> and Aino virus</li> <li><i><a href="/facts/Culicoides_imicola/e4v9PW6q">Culicoides imicola</a></i> - main vector of <a href="/facts/Bluetongue_virus/chKqqeLX">bluetongue virus</a> and <a href="/facts/African_Horse_Sickness/BeYwCUC4">African Horse Sickness</a> in Southern Europe</li> <li><i>Culicoides chiopterus</i> -</li> <li><i>Culicoides dewulfi</i> -</li> <li><i><a href="/facts/Culicoides_obsoletus/BmcTVlMS">Culicoides obsoletus</a></i> -</li> <li><i>Culicoides scoticus</i> -</li></ul></li> <li>Subgenus <i>Beltranmyia</i> <ul><li><i>Culicoides circumscriptus</i></li> <li><i><a href="/facts/Culicoides_crepuscularis/87qNVKUL">Culicoides crepuscularis</a></i></li> <li><i>Culicoides manchuriensis</i></li> <li><i>Culicoides salinarius</i></li></ul></li> <li>Subgenus <i>Culicoides</i> <ul><li><i><a href="/facts/Culicoides_boyi/s9HXm1cy">Culicoides boyi</a></i></li> <li><i>Culicoides delta</i></li> <li><i>Culicoides fagineus</i></li> <li><i>Culicoides grisescens</i></li> <li><i><a href="/facts/Culicoides_impunctatus/fL4ugMvk">Culicoides impunctatus</a></i> (<a href="/facts/Highland_midge/fL4ugMvk">Highland midge</a>) - vector for <i><a href="/facts/Haemoproteus/JBk7LlRj">Haemoproteus</a></i> spp.</li> <li><i><a href="/facts/Culicoides_kalix/o7AL5hCw">Culicoides kalix</a></i></li> <li><i>Culicoides newsteadi</i></li> <li><i>Culicoides nipponensis</i></li> <li><i>Culicoides pulicaris</i></li> <li><i>Culicoides punctatus</i></li> <li><i><a href="/facts/Culicoides_selandicus/hQdSlARJ">Culicoides selandicus</a></i></li></ul></li> <li>Subgenus <i>Drymodesmyia</i> <ul><li><i>Culicoides loughnani</i></li></ul></li> <li>Subgenus <i>Haematomyidium</i> <ul><li><i>Culicoides insinuatus</i></li> <li><i><a href="/facts/Culicoides_paraensis/bxcQ3Agh">Culicoides paraensis</a></i> - vector of <a href="/facts/Oropouche_virus/tN3n14XS">Oropouche virus</a></li></ul></li> <li>Subgenus <i>Haemophoructus</i> <ul><li><i>Culicoides gemellus</i></li></ul></li> <li>Subgenus <i>Hoffmania</i> <ul><li><i>Culicoides foxi</i></li> <li><i>Culicoides fusipalpis</i></li> <li><i>Culicoides ignacioi</i></li> <li><i>Culicoides insignis</i></li> <li><i>Culicoides lutzi</i></li> <li><i>Culicoides maruim</i></li> <li><i>Culicoides paramaruim</i></li></ul></li> <li>Subgenus <i>Macfiella</i> <ul><li><i>Culicoides phlebotomus</i></li></ul></li> <li>Subgenus <i>Meijerehelea</i> <ul><li><i>Culicoides guttifer</i></li></ul></li> <li>Subgenus <i>Monoculicoides</i> <ul><li><i>Culicoides nubeculosus</i></li> <li><i><a href="/facts/Culicoides_variipennis/PB68dLMp">Culicoides variipennis</a></i></li></ul></li> <li>Subgenus <i>Oecacta</i> <ul><li><i>Culicoides furens</i> transmits <i><a href="/facts/Mansonella_ozzardi/UCC0fNIl">Mansonella ozzardi</a></i></li></ul></li> <li>Subgenus <i>Remmia</i> <ul><li><i>Culicoides oxystoma</i></li></ul></li> <li>Subgenus <i>Tokunagahelea</i> <ul><li><i>Culicoides pygmaeus</i></li></ul></li> <li>Subgenus <i>Trithecoides</i> <ul><li><i>Culicoides anophelis</i></li></ul></li></ul> <p>Species <i><a href="/facts/Incertae_sedis/kWyo2wYR">incertae sedis</a></i> include: </p> <ul><li><i>limai</i> group <ul><li><i>Culicoides limai</i></li></ul></li> <li><i>fluviatilis</i> group <ul><li><i>Culicoides fluviatilis</i></li> <li><i>Culicoides leopodoi</i></li></ul></li> <li><i>reticulatus</i> group <ul><li><i>Culicoides guyanensis</i></li> <li><i>Culicoides paucienfuscatus</i></li> <li><i>Culicoides reticulatus</i></li></ul></li></ul> <h2 id="description">Description</h2> <p>Adults are small dark insects about 1–3 mm long. The antennae are long (15 segments) densely haired in the males and less hairy in females. The <a href="/facts/Thorax/lwtzfc8K">thorax</a> is hooped and carries a pair of broad mottled wings. Only the first two longitudinal veins are distinct. Midges are morphologically distinct from mosquitoes, lacking a proboscis, limiting their ability to bite through clothing. </p><p>Both males and females feed on nectar, however only the females take a blood meal, which is needed for the maturation of fertilized eggs.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a> Females typically bite at dusk or dawn often in dense swarms and usually in the vicinity of water, marshes or rotting vegetation. </p> <h2 id="life-cycle">Life cycle</h2> <p>Females lay their eggs <i>en masse</i> in a range of habitats ranging from water vegetation, slow running streams, damp soil or on manure heaps. These hatch into tiny smooth white larvae with four pairs of anal gills. Pupae consist of a fused <a href="/facts/Cephalothorax/0CER7JDU">cephalothorax</a> with slender respiratory trumpets and a segmented abdomen. Adults emerge through a straight slit after 3–7 days. </p><p>Species of <i>Culicoides</i> feed on a variety of mammal hosts, including humans.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> The bite of <i>Culicoides</i> is felt as a sharp prick and is often followed by irritating lumps that may disappear in a few hours or last for days. </p> <h2 id="as-a-vector">As a vector</h2> <p>Various <i>Culicoides</i> species have been shown to be <a href="/facts/Vector_(epidemiology)/bepASE2M">vectors</a> for the following viruses and conditions: <i><a href="/facts/Mansonella/HHGvHT47">Mansonella</a></i> spp. (<i><a href="/facts/Mansonella_ozzardi/UCC0fNIl">M. ozzardi</a></i>, <i><a href="/facts/Mansonella_perstans/Q4yqkX4k">M. perstans</a></i>, <i><a href="/facts/Mansonella_streptocerca/ahzl8p5d">M. streptocerca</a></i>), <i><a href="/facts/Onchocerca_gibsoni/P9jUX5EB">Onchocerca gibsoni</a></i> and <i>O. cervicalis</i>, <i><a href="/facts/Leucocytozoon/1lk3XW9l">Leucocytozoon</a></i>, <i><a href="/facts/Plasmodium_agamae/9t9oSBUn">Plasmodium agamae</a></i>, <a href="/facts/Bluetongue_virus/chKqqeLX">bluetongue virus</a>, <a href="/facts/Oropouche_virus/tN3n14XS">Oropouche virus</a>, <a href="/facts/Schmallenberg_virus/wCgJ9tpw">Schmallenberg virus</a>, <a href="/facts/African_horse_sickness/BeYwCUC4">African horse sickness</a>, <a href="/facts/Bovine_ephemeral_fever/t6Cx6J46">bovine ephemeral fever</a> (<i>C. osystoma</i> and <i>C. nipponesis</i>), <a href="/facts/Akabane_virus/rKqNMDWQ">Akabane virus</a>, <a href="/facts/Queensland_itch/1aggX8x5">Queensland itch</a> and <a href="/facts/Epizootic_hemorrhagic_disease/lcDg832w">epizootic hemorrhagic disease</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> A typical cycle of transmission of a virus by <i>Culicoides</i> is illustrated in the article <a href="/facts/Parasitic_flies_of_domestic_animals/FD0l9oSl">Parasitic flies of domestic animals</a>. Three species of <i>Culicoides</i> are established vectors for three species of <a href="/facts/Apicomplexa/UNLTEA18">Apicomplexan</a> parasites of the genus <a href="/facts/Hepatocystis/L5hNlSDd"><i>Hepatocystis</i></a>. </p> <h3>Bluetongue virus in Northern Europe</h3> <p>In 2006, <a href="/facts/Bluetongue_virus/chKqqeLX">bluetongue virus</a> was first recorded in Northern Europe. In 2007 and 2008, there were huge outbreaks, going as far as Norway, but in 2009 the outbreak was smaller. The main vector of the virus in Southern Europe does not live in Northern Europe, so other species have been screened. Species belonging to the <i>Culicoides obsoletus</i> complex and the <i>Culicoides pulicaris</i> complex have been found capable of bluetongue transmission.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/List_of_Culicoides_species/Gul85qMm">List of <i>Culicoides</i> species</a></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Meiswinkel, R.; et al. (2004). "The taxonomy of Culicoides vector complexes–unfinished business" (PDF). Veterinaria Italiana. 40 (3): 151–59. PMID 20419654. <a href="https://www.izs.it/vet_italiana/2004/40_3/151.htm" target="_blank">https://www.izs.it/vet_italiana/2004/40_3/151.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Connelly, C. R. Biting midges: Culicoides spp. Featured Creatures, Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida IFAS. August 2013 Edition. <a href="http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/aquatic/biting_midges.htm" target="_blank">http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/aquatic/biting_midges.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Szadziewski, Ryszard; Dominiak, Patrycja; Sontag, Elżbieta; Krzemiński, Wiesław; Wang, Bo; Szwedo, Jacek (2019-10-24). "Haematophagous biting midges of the extant genus Culicoides Latreille (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) evolved during the mid-Cretaceous". Zootaxa. 4688 (4): 535–548. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4688.4.5. PMID 31719428. <a href="https://www.biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.4688.4.5" target="_blank">https://www.biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.4688.4.5</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>Borkent, Art (2016). "The Subgeneric Classification of Species of Culicoides" (PDF). Illinois Natural History Survey. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Retrieved 16 January 2017. <a href="http://wwx.inhs.illinois.edu/files/5014/6532/8290/CulicoidesSubgenera.pdf" target="_blank">http://wwx.inhs.illinois.edu/files/5014/6532/8290/CulicoidesSubgenera.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Augot, Denis; Mathieu, Bruno; Hadj-Henni, Leila; Barriel, Véronique; Zapata Mena, Sonia; Smolis, Sylvia; Slama, Darine; Randrianambinintsoa, Fano José; Trueba, Gabriel; Kaltenbach, Matthieu; Rahola, Nil; Depaquit, Jérôme (2017). "Molecular phylogeny of 42 species of Culicoides (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae) from three continents". Parasite. 24: 23. doi:10.1051/parasite/2017020. PMC 5482051. PMID 28643630. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5482051" target="_blank">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5482051</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>Augot, Denis; Mathieu, Bruno; Hadj-Henni, Leila; Barriel, Véronique; Zapata Mena, Sonia; Smolis, Sylvia; Slama, Darine; Randrianambinintsoa, Fano José; Trueba, Gabriel; Kaltenbach, Matthieu; Rahola, Nil; Depaquit, Jérôme (2017). "Molecular phylogeny of 42 species of Culicoides (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae) from three continents". Parasite. 24: 23. doi:10.1051/parasite/2017020. PMC 5482051. PMID 28643630. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5482051" target="_blank">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5482051</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>Connelly, C. R. Biting midges: Culicoides spp. Featured Creatures, Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida IFAS. August 2013 Edition. <a href="http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/aquatic/biting_midges.htm" target="_blank">http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/aquatic/biting_midges.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>Kasičová, Zuzana; Schreiberová, Andrea; Kimáková, Andrea; Kočišová, Alica (2021). "Blood meal analysis: host-feeding patterns of biting midges (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae, Culicoides Latreille) in Slovakia". Parasite. 28: 58. doi:10.1051/parasite/2021058. PMC 8336726. PMID 34283022. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8336726" target="_blank">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8336726</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>Purse, B.V.; Carpenter, S.; Venter, G.J.; Bellis, G.; Mullens, B.A. (2015). "Bionomics of temperate and tropical Culicoides midges: knowledge gaps and consequences for transmission of Culicoides-borne viruses". Annual Review of Entomology. 60 (1): 373–392. doi:10.1146/annurev-ento-010814-020614. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1146%2Fannurev-ento-010814-020614" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1146%2Fannurev-ento-010814-020614</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>Bessell, Paul R.; Searle, Kate R.; Auty, Harriet K.; Handel, Ian G.; Purse, Bethan V.; Bronsvoort, B. Mark de C. (2016). "Assessing the potential for Bluetongue virus 8 to spread and vaccination strategies in Scotland". Scientific Reports. 6: 38940. Bibcode:2016NatSR...638940B. doi:10.1038/srep38940. PMC 5154200. PMID 27958339. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5154200" target="_blank">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5154200</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>