Update of the species checklist of Culicoides Latreille, 1809 biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) of Morocco

Bourquia, Maria; Garros, Claire; Rakotoarivony, Ignace; Gardès, Laëtitia; Huber, Karine; Boukhari, Intissar; Delecolle, Jean Claude; Baldet, Thierry; Mignotte, Antoine; Lhor, Youssef; Khallaayoune, Khalid; Balenghien, Thomas

doi:10.1186/s13071-019-3720-4

Cited by 15 publications

(61 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…The proposed checklist includes 59 Culicoides species in Algeria, while 54 species are recorded in Morocco [19] and 35 in Tunisia [20]. The Algerian fauna encompasses: Among these species, C. kingi is considered a probable vector of Onchocerca gutturosa affecting cattle in the Sahelian region [90,91] and a potential vector of epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus [92,93].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Update of the Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) species checklist from Algeria with 10 new records

Belkharchouche

Berchi

Mathieu³

et al. 2020

Parasites Vectors

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Background The Culicoides fauna of Algeria has been historically investigated, leading to the description of many new species by Kieffer in the 1920s, Clastrier in the 1950s or Callot in the 1960s and to a comprehensive inventory by Szadziewski in the 1980s. The emergence of bluetongue in the late 1990s enhanced Culicoides collections made in the country over the last two decades, but information remained mostly unpublished. The aim of this study is therefore to provide a comprehensive and updated checklist of Culicoides biting midge species in Algeria. Methods The literature (published and grey, in French and in English) from 1920 to date on Culicoides collections in Algeria was collected and analyzed in the light of the current taxonomic and systematic knowledge and methods. Fresh Culicoides material was also analyzed using light/suction trap collections carried out from November 2015 to September 2018 in nine localities of the ‘wilayah’ of Tiaret (northwestern Algeria). Slide mounted specimens were identified morphologically using the interactive identification key IIKC and original descriptions. Specimens were then compared with non-type material originating from different countries and partly with type material. Results A total of 13,709 Culicoides, belonging to at least 36 species within 10 subgenera, were examined leading to 10 new records in Algeria, including C. chiopterus, C. dewulfi, C. navaiae, C. grisescens, C. paradoxalis, C. shaklawensis, C. simulator, C. univittatus, C. achrayi and C. picturatus. These new records and all previous records provided by the literature review were discussed. Conclusions We propose a Culicoides checklist for the Algerian fauna of 59 valid species, including species mainly with a large Palaearctic distribution and a specific Mediterranean distribution, and only a few species from the Afrotropical region. Among them, several species, mainly of the subgenera Avaritia and Culicoides, are confirmed or probable vectors of arboviruses important in animal health.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Update of the Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) species checklist from Algeria with 10 new records

Belkharchouche

Berchi

Mathieu³

et al. 2020

Parasites Vectors

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“…The involvement of Culicoides spp. in the transmission of the AHS virus was demonstrated for C. imicola [34,35]. However, studies on Culicoides specimens caught during the AHS epizootic in Spain (1988) have shown that the virus can also be isolated from pools composed exclusively of C. obsoletus, C. pulicaris, C. odiatus and C. cataneii [36].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Species composition and relative abundance of the genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in Romania

et al. 2020

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Background: Culicoides biting midges are vectors involved in the biological transmission cycle of important animal diseases such as bluetongue and African horse sickness. In Romania, the first outbreaks of bluetongue were reported in 2014, leading to increased activities within the existing entomological surveillance network. The main goals of the surveillance activities were the establishment of the vector free period in relation to animal trade and the identification of Culicoides species involved in the transmission of the pathogen. This study was conducted on the composition and relative abundance of the species belonging to the genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in certain regions of Romania and provided the opportunity to update the existing checklist of Culicoides species of this country. Methods: The study was conducted in 33 of the 42 administrative units (counties), including a total of 659 catches, in 102 locations. The collections were carried out with UV blacklight suction traps (OVI type). The collected insects were preserved in 70% ethanol. Morphological insect identification was carried out using a stereomicroscope, according to established identification keys. In ten localities the relative abundance of the cryptic species of the Obsoletus complex was determined by multiplex PCR assay based on the ITS2 segment. The identification of the Culicoides chiopterus (Meigen) species by morphological examination was confirmed by PCR assay based on the ITS1 segment. Results: Eleven species were identified using morphological and PCR tools. The rest of the individuals were separated into five taxa. The species of the Obsoletus complex (grouping Culicoides obsoletus (Meigen) and Culicoides scoticus Downes & Kettle) were the most abundant, accounting for 59% of the total number of captured Culicoides spp. Three of the identified species are mentioned, according to our knowledge, for the first time in Romania: Culicoides newsteadi Austen, Culicoides flavipulicaris Dzhafarov and Culicoides bysta Sarvašová, Kočisová, Candolfi & Mathieu. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that the Culicoides species most commonly cited as being involved in the transmission of arboviruses in Europe (i.e. bluetongue and Schmallenberg viruses) make up a high proportion of adult Culicoides trapped in Romania.

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“…A total of 54 Culicoides species have been recorded in Morocco. This list has been mainly established in the 1970s after the 1965-1967 AHS outbreaks and has been comprehensively reviewed and updated recently (Bourquia et al, 2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These studies mainly focused on Culicoides imicola Kieffer, as a proven AHSV and BTV vector, which was, at that time, considered the only significant vector in the Mediterranean region. The rest of the individuals have been identified at group level, mainly Obsoletus and Pulicaris groups (Bourquia et al, 2019). C. imicola abundance (i.e.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Culicoides collected were transferred to 70% ethanol, then, for most individuals, identified morphologically to species-level under a stereomicroscope using the key of Mathieu et al (2012). Additionally, molecular identification was performed i) to differentiate morphologically close species (Culicoides obsoletus Meigen, Culicoides scoticus Downes and Kettle, or Culicoides montanus Shakirzjanova), ii) to confirm morphological identifications if specimens were damaged, and iii) to confirm new species records (Bourquia et al, 2019). Females of all species were age-graded as nulliparous, parous, gravid or freshly blood-fed after abdominal examination of pigmentation.…”

Section: Study Sites and Entomological Collectionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Composition and seasonality of Culicoides in three host environments in Rabat region (Morocco)

Bourquia

Garros

Rakotoarivony

et al. 2020

Rev. Elev. Med. Vet. Pays Trop.

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Morocco has suffered several outbreaks of Culicoides-borne viruses in recent decades and most studies have focused on Culicoides imicola, considered for a long time as the only important vector. The change in bluetongue (BT) epidemiology in the Mediterranean Basin and Europe over the past two decades has highlighted the role of other Culicoides species in BT virus transmission. The objective of this study was to provide new insights on the Culicoides species composition and seasonality in three different host environments (a horse-riding center, a goat farm and a cattle farm) around Rabat, the capital of Morocco, where BT has been endemic since 2004. Light / suction trap collections were carried out on two consecutive nights at fortnight intervals from May 2016 to May 2017. Culicoides were identified morphologically at the species level when possible. Multivariate analyses were used to compare the impact of the site / vertebrate species, and the collection month on the species communities. In addition, statistical modeling was used to identify environmental drivers of the Culicoides seasonality. A total of 12,460 Culicoides individuals belonging to at least 15 different species were collected during the survey. Culicoides imicola was by far the most abundant species (71.4% of total catches). The site location, and thus the vertebrate species, did not influence the species composition, which was mainly impacted by the month of collection. Surprisingly, the atmospheric pressure was the environmental parameter the most frequently selected in seasonal models. The potential impact of this meteorological parameter along with the other selected variables is discussed. Identifying the environmental parameters driving Culicoides seasonal abundance is the first step to implementing robust Culicoides dynamic models that could later be used in transmission risk modeling

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Update of the species checklist of Culicoides Latreille, 1809 biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) of Morocco

Cited by 15 publications

References 53 publications

Update of the Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) species checklist from Algeria with 10 new records

Update of the Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) species checklist from Algeria with 10 new records

Species composition and relative abundance of the genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in Romania

Composition and seasonality of Culicoides in three host environments in Rabat region (Morocco)

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