Diversity of biting midges of the genus Culicoides Latreille (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in the area of the Yacyreta dam lake

RONDEROS MM; GRECO N; SPINELLI GR

MEMóRIAS DO INSTITUTO OSWALDO CRUZ.

FUNDACO OSWALDO CRUZ

Lugar: Rio de Janeiro; Año: 2003 vol. 98 p. 19 - 24

0074-0276

The Culicoides communities have been analyzed between 1993/1998 in the area influenced by the Yacyreta Dam Lake (Parana River, Argentina-Paraguay). Adults of Culicoides were collected monthly by using CDC light traps exposedfor 24 h in 9 sampling sites located at both margins ofthe river; 21 species were recorded. Highest values ofspecies richness were recorded during 1993/1994, being Quiteria and Corpus the sites with the higest number of species (10 and II, respectively), The species diversity was elevated in Quiteria, Zaiman, Candelaria, Santa Tecla, Capitan Meza and Corpus (Shannon s diversity index 1.0-1.9) while Coratei, Ituzaingo and Aguapey showed less richness and diversity. The more abundant species were C. insignis, C. venezuelensis, C. leopoldoi, C. limai, C. flinti, C. debilipalpis, C. paraensis and C. guttatus. C. insignis, potential vector of bluetongue virus (BTV) to domestic and wild rumiants in the Neotropical region, is the predominant species in the area and was the only species widely distributed. C. paraensis, a proven vector of Oropouche virus to humans, is a common and abundant species. C. pusillus and C. lahillei, potential vectors of BTVand a filarial parasite, respectively, were occasionally collected. The taxonomic structure ofcommunities was constant during the study period. The occasional species were not characteristic to one particular site and their presence could be related to non-intrinsic conditions.