Hostname: page-component-6bf8c574d5-vmclg Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-02-17T13:25:22.482Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A POPULATION STUDY OF CULICOIDES OBSOLETUS MEIGEN (DIPTERA: CERATOPOGONIDAE), AND OTHER CULICOIDES SPECIES IN THE FRASER VALLEY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 May 2012

G.S. Anderson ,
P. Belton  and
E.M. Belton
G.S. Anderson
Affiliation:
Centre for Pest Management, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6
P. Belton
Affiliation:
Centre for Pest Management, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6
E.M. Belton
Affiliation:
Centre for Pest Management, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

A seasonal light-trapping study of Culicoides species, in particular C. obsoletus Meigen, was conducted in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia to determine seasonal peaks and first and last appearance of these insects. Culicoides obsoletus is the causal agent of Culicoides Hypersensitivity (CH), an allergic dermatitis in horses, in British Columbia. Trapping at two sites in 1987 showed that C. obsoletus was first trapped in late March, and peaked in early May and again in late June. Small numbers were collected into mid-November. This coincided with the appearance and regression of clinical signs associated with CH in horses in the area. Stabling horses during the peak activity of Culicoides spp. has been recommended to prevent the development of CH. Light-trapping Culicoides both inside and outside stables showed that although fewer insects were caught inside, some (6%) were trapped indoors. A horse kept in an unscreened stable will not be protected from being bitten.

Résumé

L’installation de pièges lumineux dans la vallée du Fraser, Colombie-Britannique, a permis d’étudier l’abondance saisonnière des espèces de Culicoides, en particulier de C. obsoletus Meigen, et de déterminer les périodes de densité maximale, de même que la première et la dernière apparitions de ces insectes. Culicoides obsoletus est l’agent de transmission de l’hypersensibilité à Culicoides (CH), une dermatite de nature allergique rencontrée chez les chevaux de Colombie-Britannique. La piégeage en deux endroits en 1987 a révélé que les premiers C. obsoletus sont apparus à la fin de mars, qu’ils ont atteint une densité maximale au début de mai et de nouveau à la fin de juin. De petits nombres ont été récoltés jusqu’à la mi-novembre. Ces périodes d’abondance coïncidaient avec l’apparition et la régression des symptomes cliniques associés à la dermatite CH chez les chevaux de cette région. La stabulation des chevaux a été recommandée comme moyen de prévention de la maladie. L’installation de pièges lumineux à l’intérieur et à l’extérieur des étables a permis de constater que, bien que moins nombreux à l’intérieur, certains insectes (6%) ont quand même été capturés dans les étables. Un cheval gardé dans une étable non protégée par des moustiquaires n’est donc pas à l’abri des morsures.

[Traduit par la rédaction]

Type
Articles
Information
The Canadian Entomologist , Volume 125 , Issue 3 , June 1993 , pp. 439 - 447
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 1993

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Anderson, G.S. 1992. The Diagnosis and Treatment of Culicoides Hypersensitivity in Horses in British Columbia. Ph.D. thesis, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A IS6. 156 pp.Google Scholar
Anderson, G.S., Belton, P., and Kleider, N.. 1988. The hypersensitivity of horses to Culicoides bites in British Columbia. Canadian Veterinary Journal 29: 718–723.Google ScholarPubMed
Anderson, G.S., Belton, P., and Kleider, N.. 1991. Culicoides obsoletus (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) as a causal agent of Culicoides Hypersensitivity (sweet itch) in British Columbia. Journal of Medical Entomology 28: 685–693.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bancroft, T.L. 1891. On psoriasis in horses, known in Queensland as mange. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland 8: 65–67.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Birley, M.H., and Boorman, J.P.. 1982. Estimating the survival and biting rates of haematophagous insects with particular reference to the Culicoides obsoletus group in Southern England. Journal of Animal Ecology 51: 135–148.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Birley, M.H., Braverman, Y., and Frith, K.. 1984. Survival and blood-feeding rate of some Culicoides species (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in Israel. Environmental Entomology 13: 424–429.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Braverman, Y. 1988. Preferred landing sites of Culicoides species (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) on a horse in Israel and its relevance to summer seasonal recurrent dermatitis, sweet itch. Equine Veterinary Journal 20: 426–429.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Costello, R.A. 1982. Light trap collections of Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia. Journal of the Entomological Society of British Columbia 79: 66–70.Google Scholar
Curtis, L.C. 1941. A preliminary list of the species of Culicoides in Western Canada. Proceedings of the Entomological Society British Columbia 37: 18–19.Google Scholar
Foil, L.D., and Foil, C.S.. 1990. Arthropod pests of horses. Equine Parasitology 12: 723–731.Google Scholar
Hoffman, W.A. 1925. A review of the species of Culicoides in North and Central America and the West Indies. American Journal of Hygiene 5: 275–301.Google Scholar
Jamnback, H. 1961. The effectiveness of chemically treated screens in killing annoying punkies, Culicoides obsoletus. Journal of Economic Entomology 54: 578–580.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jorgensen, N.M. 1969. The Systematics, Occurrence and Host Preference of Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in Southeastern Washington. Melanderia, Washington State Entomological Society 3: 47 pp.Google Scholar
Kettle, A. 1962. Bionomics and control of Culicoides and Leptoconops. Annual Review of Entomology 7: 401–418.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kettle, D.S. 1969. The ecology and control of blood sucking Ceratopogonidae. Acta Tropica 26: 235–247.Google Scholar
Kleider, N., and Lees, M.J.. 1984. Culicoides hypersensitivity in the horse. 15 cases in southwestern British Columbia. Canadian Veterinary Journal 25: 26–32.Google ScholarPubMed
Kramer, W.L., Greiner, E.C., and Gibbs, E.P.J.. 1985. A survey of Culicoides midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) associated with cattle operations in Florida, U.S.A. Journal of Medical Entomology 22: 153–162.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McCaig, J. 1975. Recent thoughts on sweet itch. Veterinary Annals 15: 204–206.Google Scholar
McMullen, R.D. 1978. Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) of the Okanagan area of British Columbia. The Canadian Entomologist 110: 1053–1057.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mulhern, T.D. 1953. Better results with mosquito light traps through standardizing mechanical performance. Mosquito News 13: 130–133.Google Scholar
Murray, W.S. 1957. Investigations on bionomics of Culicoides obsoletus (Meigen) and other biting midges at Mount Solon, Virginia. Mosquito News 17: 77–82.Google Scholar
Nelson, R.L., and Bellamy, R.E.. 1971. Patterns of flight activity of Culicoides variipennis (Coquillett) (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). Journal of Medical Entomology 8: 283–291.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Riek, R.F. 1953 a. Studies on allergic dermatitis (Queensland Itch) of the horse I. Description, distribution, symptoms and pathology. Australian Veterinary Journal 29: 177–184.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Riek, R.F. 1953 b. Studies on allergic dermatitis of the horse II. Treatment and control. Australian Veterinary Journal 29: 185–187.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Riek, R.F. 1955. Studies on allergic dermatitis (Queensland Itch) of the horse. The origin and significance of histamine in the blood and its distribution in the tissues. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 6: 161–170.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ryan, B.F., Joiner, B.L., and Ryan, T.A.. 1985. Minitab Handbook, 2nd ed. Duxbury Press, Boston, MA. 379 pp.Google Scholar
Service, M.W. 1969. Studies on the biting habits of Culicoides impunctatus Goetghebuer, Culicoides obsoletus Meigen and Culicoides punctatus (Meigen) (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in Southern England. Proceedings of the Royal Entomological Society of London 44: 1–10.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Unkel, M. 1984. Epidemiological studies of summer eczema in Iceland Ponies. Praktische Tierärztlich 65: 656–663. [In German.]Google Scholar