D3337: Culicoides species (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) reared from larval habitats from the Piedmont region of Georgia

Biting midges in the genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are vectors of pathogens of veterinary and medical importance around the world. In the southeastern United States they transmit epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) and bluetongue virus (BTV), which primarily impact wild ruminants such as white-tailed deer, but can also infect domestic ruminants such as cattle and sheep. Two sites in the Piedmont region of Georgia with varying land use patterns were surveyed for aquatic and semi-aquatic habitats with the potential to support Culicoides spp. larval development. The two sites, both operated by the University of Georgia, included a dairy facility with several hundred head of cattle and an experimental forest with natural and managed habitats, as well as a captive deer herd. Potential Culicoides larval development habitats were sampled by collecting substrate, which was then held in an environmental chamber. Substrate samples were kept moist and monitored daily for any emerging adult Culicoides midges for up to 45 days post-collection. Adult midges were then morphologically identified to species.