First overview of the Culicoides Latreille (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) livestock associated species of Reunion Island, Indian Ocean

• Published in: Acta tropica Vol. 142; pp. 5 - 19
• Main Authors: Desvars, A., Grimaud, Y., Guis, H., Esnault, O., Allène, X., Gardès, L., Balenghien, T., Baldet, T., Delécolle, J.C., Garros, C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01-02-2015; Elsevier
• Subjects: Africa; Animals; Biting midges; Bluetongue - transmission; Ceratopogonidae; Ceratopogonidae - classification; Ceratopogonidae - genetics; Ceratopogonidae - virology; Culicoides; Culicoides bolitinos; Culicoides imicola; Cytochrome oxidase subunit I; Demography; Diptera; Female; Hemorrhagic Disease Virus, Epizootic; Indian Ocean; Insect Vectors - classification; Insect Vectors - genetics; Insect Vectors - virology; Life Sciences; Livestock; Livestock - parasitology; Male; Microbiology and Parasitology; Phylogeny; Reoviridae Infections - transmission; Reoviridae Infections - veterinary; Reunion; Ruminantia; Species diversity; Vector species; Reunion; Indian Ocean; Africa; ISW, Indian Ocean, Mascarene Is., Reunion; Vector species; Species diversity; Livestock; Biting midges; Indian Ocean; Cytochrome oxidase subunit I
• ISSN: 0001-706X; 1873-6254; 1873-6254
• DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2014.10.018

Following a new faunistic inventory of Culicoides species, the study provides morphological description, their barcode sequences and an analysis of their distribution.
•A new faunistic inventory of Culicoïdes species on Reunion Island is established.•Five species including three new are recorded.•Morphological identification and barcode sequences are provided.•Diversity and altitudinal distribution of the recoded species were investigated.
This study establishes the first faunistic inventory of livestock associated Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) species of Reunion Island (Indian Ocean), where bluetongue and epizootic hemorrhagic disease are regularly recorded. Single night-catches were performed at 41 sites using light suction traps at altitudes ranging from 0 to 1525m, from March to April 2005. Five species were recorded: Culicoides imicola, Culicoides bolitinos, Culicoides enderleini, Culicoides grahamii, and Culicoides kibatiensis, among which at least the first three species are known to be involved in virus transmission to ruminants and equids. This is the first record of C. bolitinos, C. kibatiensis, and C. enderleini on the island. C. imicola was the most abundant species along the sea coast. C. bolitinos was more abundant inland and on two sites on the east coast. C. kibatiensis and C. grahamii were less abundant than the other three species and limited to two foci.
Spatial distribution analysis of the different species showed that C. bolitinos, C. enderleini and C. imicola were collected at low altitudes, while the other two species were found at higher altitude. A morphological identification key for adult females and males is given, as well as cytochrome oxydase subunit I sequences. Phylogenetic reconstructions showed a clear divergence between C. bolitinos from Reunion Island and mainland Africa. This monograph will help to identify the Culicoides species in the poorly known entomological fauna of the south-western Indian Ocean region.