SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF CulicoidesBITING MIDGES (DIPTERA: CERATOPOGONIDAE) IN TWO ENVIRONMENTS OF SALTA PROVINCE, ARGENTINA

2.VEGGIANI AYBAR, CA; DANTUR JURI, MJ; BENITEZ, L; M, LIZARRALDE DE GROSSO

Jornada; XXVIII Jornadas Científicas. Asociación de Biología de Tucumán; 2011

Biting midges are known vectors of medical and veterinary diseases globally. In Northwestern Argentina they are involved in filariasis transmission caused by Mansonella ozzardi. The aim of this paper was to determine the abundance and spatial distribution of Culicoidesin two types of environments through principal component analysis (PCA). Samplings were conducted during 2004-2005 in San Ramón de la Nueva Orán, El Oculto and Aguas Blancas using CDC light traps placed in forest and anthropized environments. 753 specimens were collected and five species were identified: C. debilipalpis, C. lahillei, C. insignis, C. paraensisand C. venezuelensis. The PCA registered in the first two axes 70% of the variability, accounted for by the temperature, the rainfall, the humidity, the wind speed and the species, C. debilipalpisand C. insignis. A new PCA applied only to species found that CP1 and CP2 registered 65% of the variation, accounted for by the abundance of C. lahillei, C. paraensis, C. insignisand C. debilipalpis. The results showed that wind speed determined a variation in the abundance of C. debilipalpisand C. insignisin both San Ramón de la Nueva Orán and El Oculto. The abundance of C. lahillei, C. paraensis, C. insignisand C. debilipalpisdiscriminated the forest environment of Aguas Blancas from the other localities sampled.