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Culicoides scoticus Downes and Kettle, 1952

General information for the taxon Biogeographic region where the taxon is recorded : Palaearctic Diagnose Culicoides obsoletus and C. scoticus are known to be sibling species meaning that females cannot be distinguished based on morphological characters. However, males can be discriminated according to genitalia characteristics. female diagnose as in C. obsoletus . Wing with pale spots relatively marked. Pale spots distally present in r5, m1, m2 and m4 cells. Presence of two functional spermathecae with subequal size and 1 rudimentary spermatheca. Presence of sclerotized ring male diagnose: Hypopygium without postlateral processes. Aedeagus characterized by shape of horseshoe with a well marked expansion apically (less marked and thiner for C. obsoletus). Ninth sternite franckly divided in two, triangular-shaped. Ecology C. obsoletus and C. scoticus are found in association with various breeds of livestock. Both species are widely distributed in Western Europe and usually abundant. C. obsoletus midges have been found emerging from manure left outside the farm buildings, but also from indoor samples. Zimmer et al (2010) found that dried dung adhering to walls inside animal enclosures and used animal litter was a breeding site for the C. obsoletus/scoticus complex. They also observed that C. obsoletus/scoticus complex midges were more prevalent in soil samples with a high carbon:nitrogen (C:N) index; this index indicates the amount of organic matter in soil. Viennet et al (2012) did not identified preferential landing sites for C. obsoletus (horse used as baits) whereas Townley et al. (1984) found most of C. obsoletus landing and feeding on upper parts of horse, Overgaard Nielsen (1971) on belly of heifers and Viennet et al. (2011) on lower parts of sheep. Culicoides obsoletus is able to enter into buildings. The outdoor/indoor ratio of C. obsoletus abundance was higher in summer than in spring and autumn, and was dependent on the building opening. Culicoides obsoletus was active before sunset in spring and autumn and after sunset in summer. Implications as vector species Culicoides obsoletus plays a significant role in the spread of BTV. Both sibling species are abundant in BTV-infected areas and virus has been isolated from specimens belonging to these two groups during outbreaks in Italy and detected in these species using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in central Western Europe. Furthermore, in laboratory studies, the Obsoletus group has proven orally susceptible for BTV 8 and 9 (Carpenter et al. 2008).

family Ceratopogonidae       subfamily Ceratopogoninae           genus Culicoides               subgenus Amossovia               subgenus Anilomyia               subgenus Avaritia                   Culicoides abchazicus                   Culicoides bolitinos                   Culicoides brevitarsis                   Culicoides chiopterus                   Culicoides dewulfi                   Culicoides imicola                   Culicoides obsoletus                   Culicoides scoticus               subgenus Beltranmyia                   Culicoides circumscriptus               subgenus Cotocripus               subgenus Culicoides                   Culicoides fagineus                   Culicoides flavipulicaris                   Culicoides impunctatus                   Culicoides newsteadi                   Culicoides punctatus               subgenus Diphaomyia               subgenus Drymodesmyia               subgenus Fastus               subgenus Glaphiromyia               subgenus Haematomyidium               subgenus Haemophoructus               subgenus Hoffmania               subgenus Jilinocoides               subgenus Macfiella               subgenus Marksomyia               subgenus Mataemyia               subgenus Meijerehelea               subgenus Monoculicoides                   Culicoides nubeculosus               subgenus Nullicella               subgenus Oecacta                   Culicoides festivipennis               subgenus Pontoculicoides               subgenus Psychophaena               subgenus Remmia                   Culicoides enderleini                   Culicoides oxystoma               subgenus Selfia               subgenus Silvaticulicoides               subgenus Sinocoides               subgenus Synhelea               subgenus test juillet                   Culicoides testest juillet               subgenus Tokunagahelea               subgenus Trithecoides               subgenus Unknown               subgenus Wirthomyia

• Delécolle JC. 1985. Nouvelle contribution à l'étude systématique et iconographique des espèces du genre Culicoides (Diptera : Ceratopogonidae) du Nord-Est de la France. Université des Sciences de Strasbourg, France.
• Carpenter S, Lunt HL, Arav D, Venter GJ, Mellor PS. 2006. Oral susceptibility to bluetongue virus of Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) from the United Kingdom. J Med Entomol. 43(1) : 73-78.
• Nolan DV, Carpenter S, Barber J, Mellor PS, Dallas JF, Mordue Luntz AJ, Piertney SB. 2007. Rapid diagnostic PCR assays for members of the Culicoides obsoletus and Culicoides pulicaris species complexes, implicated vectors of bluetongue virus in Europe. Vet Microbiol. 124(1-2) : 82-94.
• Zimmer JY, Saegerman C, Losson B, Haubruge E. 2010. Breeding sites of bluetongue virus vectors, Belgium. Emerg Infect Dis. 16(3) : 575-576.
• Augot D, Sauvage F, Jouet D, Simphal E, Veuille M, Couloux A, Kaltenbach ML, Depaquit J. 2010. Discrimination of Culicoides obsoletus and Culicoides scoticus, potential bluetongue vectors, by morphometrical and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I analysis. Infect Genet Evol. 10(5) : 629-637.
• Venail R, Mathieu B, Setier-Rio ML, Borba C, Alexandre M, Viudes G, Garros C, Allene X, Carpenter S, Baldet T, Balenghien T. 2011. Laboratory and field-based tests of deltamethrin insecticides against adult Culicoides biting midges. J Med Entomol. 48(2) : 351-357.
• Nielsen SA, Kristensen M. 2011. Morphological and molecular identification of species of the Obsoletus group (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in Scandinavia. Parasitol Res. 109(4) : 1133-1141.
• Mathieu B, Delecolle JC, Garros C, Balenghien T, Setier-Rio ML, Candolfi E, Cêtre-Sossah C. 2011. Simultaneous quantification of the relative abundance of species complex members: application to Culicoides obsoletus and Culicoides scoticus (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), potential vectors of bluetongue virus. Vet Parasitol. 182(2-4) : 297-306.
• Ninio C, Augot D, Dufour B, Depaquit J. 2011. Emergence of Culicoides obsoletus from indoor and outdoor breeding sites. Vet Parasitol. 183(1-2) : 125-129.
• Deblauwe I, De Witte JC, De Deken G, De Deken R, Madder M, Van Erk S, Hoza FA, Lathouwers D, Geysen D. 2012. A new tool for the molecular identification of Culicoides species of the Obsoletus group: the glass slide microarray approach. Med Vet Entomol. 26(1) : 83-91.

AVAbase ID

Country of collection

Voucher

Sequence(s)

Status

Sample(s)

Picture(s)

Number

AVA7

France

In collection

Single individual

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