Culicoides (Hoffmania) insignis Lutz, 1913

Vigil, Wlodkowski, John C., Joshua, Vargas, Shaw, David, Christopher, William L. Grogan, Jr. & Corn, Joseph L., 2014, New records of biting midges of the genus Culicoides Latreille from the southeastern United States (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), Insecta Mundi 2014 (394), pp. 1-14 : 6-7

Culicoides (Hoffmania) insignis Lutz

Culicoides insignis Lutz, 1913: 51 ( Brazil) .

Culicoides (Hoffmania) insignis: Fox, 1948: 25 (as type species of new subgenus Hoffmania ); Wirth and Blanton 1956a: 319 (designated male syntype as lectotype; Florida records); Blanton and Wirth 1979: 106 (in review of Culicoides of Florida; Florida records); Wirth et al. 1985: 12 (in Nearctic Wing Atlas; Alabama, Georgia); Wilkening et al. 1985: 520 (Florida records); Borkent and Grogan 2009: 14 (in Nearctic catalog; distribution).

Culicoides inamollae Fox and Hoffman, 1944: 110 ( Puerto Rico).

Culicoides painteri Fox, 1946: 257 ( Honduras) .

Discussion. Culicoides insignis is a common, primarily Neotropical species that inhabits most of South America, Central America and the Caribbean region ( Wirth and Blanton 1974; Borkent and Spinelli 2007). It also occurs in the southeastern United States, in particular, Florida where it can be locally abundant ( Kramer et al. 1985b; Veggiani et al. 2010). This species is often associated with livestock operations and cattle pastures ( Kramer et al. 1985a), but can also be found in many other habitat types such as mangrove swamps, tidal mud flats, drainage ditches, sugarcane fields, pond and stream banks, and many intermediate habitats ( Blanton and Wirth 1979).

Throughout its range, Culicoides insignis is a serious pest to livestock with bites often causing generalized skin reactions and inflammation ( Greiner et al. 1990; Correa et al. 2007). In addition, C. insignis is one of the few known vectors of BTV in the Neotropics, and a likely vector in the southeastern United States ( Greiner et al. 1985; Sáenz and Greiner 1994; Tanya et al. 1992). This species probably plays a large role in BTV transmission in areas where C. sonorensis is not present ( Kramer et al. 1985b; Mellor et al. 2000). Blanton and Wirth (1979) recorded C. insignis from most Florida peninsular counties, coastal and interior, but not from the panhandle. Wilkening et al. (1985) listed C. insignis from several additional Florida counties, including some in the panhandle region. In their Nearctic wing atlas, Wirth et al. (1985) listed C. insignis from Alabama, and Hagan and Wirth (1985) found this species during their surveys of coastal Georgia, as did Smith et al. (1996) during their surveys of southwestern Georgia. During the current surveys by SCWDS, we collected C. insignis in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. We provide the first records of C. insignis from Mississippi in three counties in the southeastern region and from one county in the north-central region of this state. We also provide new county records of C. insignis from Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. The recent discoveries of C. insignis in Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi suggest that it is undergoing a continued northward expansion of its range.

New State Records. MISSISSIPPI, Harrison Co., Saucier, Little Biloxi Wildlife Management Area , 20 September 2012, 2 females. Jackson Co. , Lucedale , Pascagoula River Wildlife Management Area , 25 September 2010, 1 female, same data except 21 September 2012, 3 females ; Vancleave, Ward Bayou Wildlife Management Area , 27 September 2008, 5 females, 1 male, same data except 26 September 2010, 3 females, 1 male. Stone Co., Saucier , Little Biloxi Wildlife Management Area , 24 September 2010, 2 females ; same data except 20 September 2012, 2 females, 1 male. Yalobusha Co., Water Valley , 11 August 2009, 1 female .

New County Records in Alabama, Florida and Georgia. ALABAMA, Elmore Co., Tallassee, Yates Lake West Wildlife Management Area, 13 September 2011, 1 female. Geneva Co. , Kinston, Geneva State Forest Wildlife Management Area , 18 September 2010, 1 female. FLORIDA, Broward Co. , Tamarac, Hillsboro Pineland Natural Area , 3 December 2008, 1 female. Clay Co. , Green Cove Springs, Bayard Conservation Area , 20 July 2009, 7 females. Columbia Co. , High Springs, O’Leno State Park , 1 October 2008, 6 females, 2 males. De Soto Co. , Arcadia-1, 22 May 2008, 10 females, 1 male, same data except 15 February 2010, 4 females 1 male ; Arcadia-2, 21 April 2008, 5 females, same data except 23 April 2008, 4 females, same data except 24 January 2011, 5 females ; Arcadia-3, 1 March 2008, 1 female, same data except 20 October 2009, 7 females, same data except 21 October 2009, 2 females, 1 male ; Arcadia, Morgan Park , 9 May 2011, 2 females, same data except 11 May 2011, 2 females ; Arcadia, RV Griffin Reserve , 3 March 2008, 14 females, 21 males, same data except 4 March 2008, 7 females, 8 males, same data except 5 March 2008, 2 females, 10 males, same data except 14 June 2010, 5 females, same data except 16 June 2010, 3 females ; Nocatee, 25 August 2009, 3 females, same data except 27 August 2009, 1 female. Martin Co., Stuart , Atlantic Ridge State Park , 18 October 2010, 1 female, same data except 19 October 2010, 2 females. Okeechobee Co. , Okeechobee , Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park , 25 September 2008, 1 female. Pasco Co. , Groveland , Green Swamp Wildlife Management Area , 3 July 2008, 2 females, 1 male ; Land O’ Lakes , Cypress Creek Preserve , 3 May 2010, 2 females, 1 male, same data except 4 May 2010, 1 female. Volusia Co., De Leon Springs , Lake George State Forest , 28 September 2009, 8 females. GEORGIA, Dooly Co. , Vienna , Flint River Wildlife Management Area , 6 August 2012, 2 males. Long Co. , Jesup , Griffin Ridge Wildlife Management Area , 22 September 2008, 1 female .