Studies on the taxonomy of Australasian species of Culicoides Latreille (Diptera:Ceratopogonidae)

Abstract

The biting midge genus Culicoides contains approximately 1300 species worldwide. Many species are of economic importance either as biting pests of humans or domesticated animals or as vectors of pathogens for these hosts. The Australasian fauna contains a high proportion of undescribed species, most of which have not been formally placed into subgenera. Furthermore, many of the described species have not been revised since their original description and for these species data is lacking for several characters routinely used in modern descriptions, particularly the details of antennal sensilla. Additionally, several species are known only from a single sex.No tools are available to assist workers in recognising species of Australasian Culicoides. No Australasian specimens have undergone genetic analyses either to support specific status, monophyly of groupings or investigations into phylogeography.Using a modern suite of characters, morphological analyses of the known fauna of Australasia, including undescribed species, was used to complete a preliminary subgeneric classification of the Australasian Culicoides fauna. Wing photographs of all recognised species were compiled into a wing picture atlas which also provides a checklist of species and their subgeneric placement accompanied by a table of numerical values of described species.From the subgeneric classification proposed in the wing picture atlas, seven subgeneric groupings viz the Marksi, Bancrofti, Immaculatus, Molestus, Coronalis, Kusaiensis and Imicola groups, were fully revised including a group diagnosis, descriptions of new species, redescriptions of adult males and females and, where necessary, pupae. Species descriptions and group monophyly were supported where possible by COI and CAD molecular data.Included in these revisions are redescriptions of 17 existing species namely Culicoides

Pictorial key to adult femaleCulicoides Latreille, 1809 (Diptera:Ceratopogonidae) from theNorthernTerritory,WesternAustralia andSouthAustralia

“…The range of species included in this key was extracted from Dyce et al . () with some modifications from Bellis () and includes several undescribed species. The temporary names assigned to these undescribed species follows Dyce et al .…”

Next-generation tools to control biting midge populations and reduce pathogen transmission

“…For control methods that rely on sterility or incompatibility, heterospecific mating will not affect the outcome of the program; however, for methods that rely on a drive mechanism, gene flow between closely related species can have unintended consequences. There are a number of species complexes within the genus that hinder proper identification and, depending on the relatedness of the species within the complex, could lead to unintended consequences upon release of modified individuals [ 84 ]. Culicoides sonorensis belongs to a complex of three species, which was historically considered to be five subspecies [ 89 ].…”

“…Culicoides imicola is also a significant vector in Africa where it transmits AHSV. Members of this subgenus feed primarily on a variety large mammals and have the ability to breed in dung, thereby tightly linking their life history with susceptible hosts [84]. Attempts to produce viable offspring from field-collected C. imicola and C. obsoletus have resulted in high oviposition numbers and hatch rates, but high larval mortality [85][86][87].…”

Culicoides spp. (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in Tunisia

“…Many PCR-based tests have been used for identification of Culicoides spp., targeting the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene (mt COI) and the ribosomal RNA genes internal transcribed spacer 1 or 2 (ITS1, ITS2). Moreover, the fused carbamoylphosphate synthetase, aspartate transcarbamylase and dihydroorotase (CAD) nuclear marker have also developed for its utility in differentiating species [58]. Table 3 summarises the molecular markers used for molecular analysis within Culicoides.…”

“…Mitochondrial COI [57,[60][61][62][63][64][65][66][67]78] COII [68][69][70] 28S [71] 18S rRNA [72] 16S rRNA [73,74] Cytb [66] Ribosomal ITS1 [75][76][77][78] ITS2 [79] Nuclear CAD [58]…”