Culicoides biting midges are small Dipteran vectors of numerous animal pathogens. Many of these pathogens, such as bluetongue virus (BTV) and epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV), are known for the devastating morbidity and mortality they can cause to livestock and the economic burden they place on livestock producers. On animal agriculture sites, Culicoidessonorensis is the primary vector of these viruses and can often complete its full life cycle within a farm environment. However, these pathogens also circulate in wild ruminant populations off of agricultural lands and there is evidence to suggest that in these less dramatically managed spaces, other Culicoides species may be responsible for the maintenance of EHDV and BTV on the landscape. Therefore, it is imperative that we study Culicoides communities along this interface to better understand which species may be involved and what drivers may impact their presence and abundance. In this talk, data will be presented from a study in which Culicoides larval communities were collected alongside game camera data indicating the frequency and length of ruminant use to assess the impact of host type and site use on midge presence and abundance. This study was conducted on the Konza Prairie Biological Station, a tallgrass prairie ecosystem which has managed herds of bison and cattle alongside a healthy wild white-tailed deer population, providing a unique opportunity to study this system at the wildlife-livestock interface.
