Community analysis of biting midges (Culicoides Latr.) on livestock farms in Denmark

Abstract

This study presents descriptive statistics and community analysis of adult biting midges trapped at 16 livestock farms by means of light traps on Zealand and Lolland-Falster, Denmark. A total of 9,047 male and female Culicoides divided into 24 species, were caught. Biotic and abiotic factors ranging from presence of different host species (cattle or sheep/goats), presence of small woody areas or wetlands in the surrounding landscape, and agricultural practice (organic or conventional) were included in the community analysis. Only differences in the Culicoides communities between conventional and organic practices were tested significantly different. Total numbers of Culicoides individuals were higher on the organic farms than on the conventional farms. The larger loads of biting midges on the organic farms may be due to free-ranging animals that attracted the midges on pastures and carried them to the stable environment (the cattle of the conventional farms were held inside the stables). Presence of deciduous trees within 500 m of the farms resulted in higher numbers of Culicoides obsoletus s.s., while presence of wetlands increased the numbers of Culicoides punctatus and Culicoides pulicaris. Furthermore, Culicoides riethi and Culicoides puncticollis (subgenus Monoculicoides) were recorded in high numbers on individual farms. C. puncticollis was found for the first time in Denmark and so far only recorded from Zealand.

Three new Scandinavian species of Culicoides (Culicoides): C. boyi sp. nov., C. selandicus sp. nov. and C. kalix sp. nov. (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

“…Biting midges were collected in 2007–2008 in Sweden (Nielsen et al 2010) and 2008–2009 in Denmark using blacklight suction traps (Lassen et al 2012b, Nielsen et al 2014​). The entire material of Culicoides was identified to species level by the first author.…”

“…Following the outbreak of bluetongue disease in 2007–2008, a major entomological monitoring program of Culicoides was implemented in Denmark and Sweden to collect a large material of Culicoides (Nielsen et al 2010, Nielsen et al 2014). Most specimens were sorted morphologically and some were selected for subsequent molecular barcoding in order to develop an efficient method for correct species identification (Pagès et al 2009, Lassen et al 2012a, Lassen et al 2012b).…”

Delineation of Culicoides species by morphology and barcode exemplified by three new species of the subgenus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) from Scandinavia

“…In the context of a major entomological monitoring program of Culicoides in Denmark and Sweden due to the occurrence of bluetongue disease in 2007–08 Culicoides specimens were collected by light traps [ 12 ]. Most specimens were morphologically identified and some were identified by DNA barcoding, providing an efficient method for species identification of Culicoides specimens [ 9 , 10 , 13 ].…”