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New records of the occurrence of biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) species in rural area of Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, in the South of Brazil

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Abstract

Ceratopogonidae (biting midges) species are of medical and veterinary importance and play a role as disease vectors caused by viruses, protozoa, and filarial nematodes. Besides their vectorial importance, they are harmful due to painful bites that cause discomfort in humans and animals. Identifying possible disease vectors is of significant epidemiological importance, therefore, the aim of this study was to carry out a survey of the species of Ceratopogonids that occur in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, to verify the frequency of occurrence of adults of Ceratopogonidae within one year of capture. Insects were collected weekly (three night a week) using a Captor® suction light trap, from March 2020 to March 2021, between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. Collections of biting midges were separated from other insects, divided into genera and morphologically identified at the species level. A total of 16,054 specimens (71.55% female to 28.44% male) of Ceratopogonidae, were collected and identified, comprising thirteen species. Data presented show that several species of biting midges, including seven new records, have variable frequency and occur year-round at the study site, with the highest number in the warm season. The dominant species were Culicoides insignis and Culicoides venezuelensis.

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Fig. 1

source: Ascend Global—https://ascendglobal.com/eng/products/insect-light-traps/1)

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Availability of data and material

Data and materials are available at the Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology at the Federal University of Santa Maria.

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Acknowledgements

We are thankful for the contribution and availability of Ph.D Felipe and M.Sc. Emanuelle from the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation team in Manaus, Amazonia, for helping us to identify Ceratopogonidae species and to Ph.D Luciana Pötter for her help in carrying out the statistical analysis of the manuscript data. Thanks to Juliana Schaefer for designing the map of the study site. Thanks to Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) and to the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) for granting us scholarship that made it possible to conduct the study.

Funding

This study was made possible with the financial support of a scholarship granted by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate Program in Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Parasitology Laboratory, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

    Julia Somavilla Lignon

  2. Laboratory of Amazonian Infectious Diseases Ecology, Leônidas and Maria Deane Institute, FIOCRUZ AMAZÔNIA, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil

    Emanuelle de Souza Farias & Felipe Arley Costa Pessoa

  3. Veterinary Parasitology Laboratory, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

    Eduarda Maria Trentin Santi, Lucas Alexandre Farias de Souza, Gilneia da Rosa & Silvia Gonzalez Monteiro

  4. Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

    Diego Moscarelli Pinto

  5. Pastures and Supplements Laboratory, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

    Luciana Pötter

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  1. Julia Somavilla Lignon
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  2. Emanuelle de Souza Farias
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Contributions

JSL carried out the study and wrote the article. EMTS, LAFS and GR helped to separate the insects according to morphology. ESF identified the Ceratopogonids specimens. LP performed the statistical analysis of the manuscript data. FACP, DMP, SGM revised and corrected the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Julia Somavilla Lignon.

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Lignon, J.S., de Souza Farias, E., Pessoa, F.A.C. et al. New records of the occurrence of biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) species in rural area of Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, in the South of Brazil. Int J Trop Insect Sci 42, 1803–1812 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42690-021-00708-z

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