Temporal Variation in Species Abundance and Richness of Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in a Tropical Equatorial Area

• Published in: Journal of medical entomology Vol. 56; no. 4; pp. 1013 - 1018
• Main Authors: Gusmão, Gaudino Marco Cantanhede, Brito, Gustavo Almeida, Moraes, Leandro Santos, Bandeira, Maria Da Conceição Abreu, Rebêlo, José Manuel Macário
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: US Entomological Society of America 01.07.2019; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: abiotic factor; Abundance; Animals; Annual distribution; Annual rainfall; Biodiversity; Biting; biting midge; Brazil; Chironomidae; Culicoides; Diptera; Distribution; Domestic animals; Dry season; Environmental aspects; Equatorial regions; Geographical distribution; Housing; Medical climatology; POPULATION AND COMMUNITY ECOLOGY; Rainfall; Rainy season; Rural areas; Species richness; Temperature; Temporal variations; Time Factors; Tropical Climate; Tropics; vector ecology; Weather; Brazil; abiotic factor; biting midge; vector ecology
• ISSN: 0022-2585; 1938-2928
• DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjz015

The aim of this study was to investigate whether temperature, rainfall, and humidity influence the annual distribution of Culicoides Latreille 1809, species abundance and richness in rural areas on São Luís Island in the state of Maranhão, Brazil. Biting midges were collected in housing for domestic animals in the peridomestic areas of 10 homes. A CDC light trap was installed in each peridomestic area from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. once a month for 12 mo. In total, 23,633 individuals belonging to 26 Culicoides species were captured. The most abundant species were Culicoides diabolicus Hoffman, 1925 (27.43%), C. ignacioi Forattini, 1957 (25.9%), C. flavivenulus Costa Lima, 1937 (15.53%), C. insignis Lutz, 1913 (10.66%), C. filariferus Hoffman, 1939 (6.21%), C. boliviensis Spinelli & Wirth, 1984 (6.07%), C. foxi Ortíz, 1950 (2.83%), and C. leopoldoi Ortíz, 1951 (2.54%). Species richness and abundance were greater during the rainy season (24 species; 88% of the individuals) than during the dry season (18 species; 12% of individuals). However, persistent rain on the days the midges were collected or in the preceding 24 h adversely affected abundance. Mean monthly maximum temperature and rainfall on the day of the collection adversely affected Culicoides abundance and richness.