Culicoides hildebrandoi, a new species of the reticulatus species group from the Brazilian Amazon Region (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae)

Abstract

A new species of biting midge (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), Culicoides hildebrandoi sp. n., is described and illustrated based on female and male specimens from the states of Amazonas and Rondônia, Brazil. This new species belongs to the reticulatus species group and differs from the 24 other species of this group by the elongate slightly swollen 3rd palpal segment with scattered capitate sensilla but lacking a sensory pit.

List of Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) from the state of Amazonas, Brazil, including new records

“…The richness of Culicoides in the state of Amazonas is 6.6% of all species of the genus worldwide and 77% all Culicoides species in Brazil (Borkent 2015;Farias et al 2016;Santarém and Felippe-Bauer 2016). Catalogs and lists of species are important tools in the study of biodiversity of localities, states, countries, and zoogeographic regions (Santarém and Felippe-Bauer 2016).…”

“…We compiled a list of Culicoides species (Table 1), and mapped each species in Amazonas state, based on Borkent and Spinelli (2007), Farias et al (2016), Castellón and Felippe-Bauer (2015), and Santarém and Felippe-Bauer (2016). The municipalities in Amazonas state where there are records of Culicoides are mapped in Figure 1.…”

“…Pessoa collector. Farias, Pereira Junior, Felippe-Bauer, Pessoa, Medeiros and Santarém, 2016 (Figures 9, 12L) Culicoides hildebrandoi Farias et al (2016): 107 Amazonas and Rondônia, Brazil.…”

“…In addition to their vectorial importance, these midges are pernicious due to their bites (Mellor et al 2000). There are 1,355 species described worldwide (Borkent 2015); 116 species inhabit Brazil and 80 have been recorded in the state of Amazonas (Farias et al 2016;Santarém and Felippe-Bauer 2016). A survey conducted in Presidente Figueiredo Municipality recorded species previously unknown in the state of Amazonas.…”

New species records of Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) for the state of Rondônia in Brazilian Amazon

“…These insects can also transmit pathogens that cause disease in humans and domestic animals of economic importance (Ronderos et al 2003, Borkent and Spinelli 2007). The diverse species of Culicoides are distributed around the world; currently, 1,368 species have been described worldwide; 149 species have been recorded in Brazil and 122 species have been recorded in the Brazilian Amazon Basin (Borkent 2016a, Carvalho et al 2016, Farias et al 2016a, Farias et al 2016b, Santarém and Felippe-Bauer 2017). Despite evidence of high species diversity of Culicoides , only a few surveys have been conducted in the Brazilian Amazon Basin, primarily in the states of Amazonas and Pará.…”