Cilicoides Brevitarsis Kieffer (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae) in Different Farm Habitats

Abstract

In a study of Culicoides brevitarsis in different farm habitats it was found that adults rested on vegetation in 'open' conditions but were more abundant in areas of higher humidity (dam margins). Numbers caught in light traps were highest in open and wooded pasture while levels of oviposition were highest in open pasture and along dam margins. The distributions and behaviours of C. brevitarsis and its cattle hosts in different habitats maintained contact between the two species, although the resting and oviposition phases of the insect did not require cattle to be constantly close by. Differences due to habitat should be considered when designing sampling/monitoring procedures and in the interpretation of survey, research and predictive data.