Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) and livestock in the Netherlands: comparing host preference and attack rates on a Shetland pony, a dairy cow, and a sheep.
Abstract: Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) host preferences and attack rates were quantified in early summer at a dairy farm in the Netherlands using livestock tethered at pasture. Midges were aspirated hourly over seven consecutive hours (17:00-23:00) from a dairy cow, a Shetland pony, and a sheep and correspondingly yielded seventeen, thirteen, and nine species. Of the 14,181 midges obtained, approximately 95% belonged to the C. obsoletus complex, C. dewulfi, C. chiopterus, and C. punctatus that together include all proven or potential vectors for arboviral diseases in livestock in northwestern Europe. On average, 7.6 and 3.5 times more Culicoides were collected, respectively, from the cow and the Shetland pony than from the sheep. In descending order of abundance, the C. obsoletus complex, C. dewulfi, and C. chiopterus dominated attacks on all three hosts, whereas C. punctatus and C. pulicaris favored only the two larger hosts. Irrespective of the host species involved, the three body regions attracted the same component species, C. chiopterus favoring the legs, C. punctatus and C. achrayi the belly, and the C. obsoletus complex, C. dewulfi, and C. pulicaris the head, back, and flanks. That known and potential vectors for animal diseases feed indiscriminately on a broad range of mammal hosts means that all major livestock species, including equines, are rendered susceptible to one or more Culicoides-borne pathogens.
© 2015 The Society for Vector Ecology.
Publication Date: 2015-11-28 PubMed ID: 26611966DOI: 10.1111/jvec.12169Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The research article explores the behavior and preferences of Culicoides, a type of midges, in relation to different livestock in a Dutch dairy farm. The study quantifies host preferences and attack rates, aiming to understand the potential risks of midge-borne diseases in livestock.
Methodology
- The study was conducted on a dairy farm in the Netherlands in the early summer. The researchers used livestock that were tethered in a pasture, to observe and analyze the behavior of Culicoides.
- The livestock examined included a dairy cow, a Shetland pony, and a sheep.
- The midges were collected over seven consecutive hours from 17:00 to 23:00.
Findings
- A total of 14,181 midges were obtained during the period of study, with around 95% of these belonging to the C. obsoletus complex, C. dewulfi, C. chiopterus, and C. punctatus. These species are important as they include all proven or potential vectors for arboviral diseases transferable to livestock in northwestern Europe.
- The cattle and the pony attracted more Culicoides than the sheep, with researchers collecting approximately 7.6 and 3.5 times more midges respectively.
- The C. obsoletus complex, C. dewulfi, and C. chiopterus species were found to dominate attacks on all three host animals. Meanwhile, C. punctatus and C. pulicaris favored only the larger hosts, the cow, and the pony.
- The study also noted that different species of Culicoides seem to favor different body areas of the hosts. C. chiopterus midges favor the legs, C. punctatus and C. achrayi were most prevalent on the belly, and the C. obsoletus complex, C. dewulfi, and C. pulicaris favored the head, back, and flanks.
Implications
- The findings suggest that main livestock species, including equines, are susceptible to one or more Culicoides-borne pathogens.
- The indiscriminate feeding habits of Culicoides across various mammal hosts underscore the potential for the broad spread of diseases.
- Understanding the feeding behavior and preferences of these midges can help shape strategies to manage and control the spread of arboviral diseases in livestock ecosystems.
Cite This Article
APA
Elbers AR, Meiswinkel R.
(2015).
Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) and livestock in the Netherlands: comparing host preference and attack rates on a Shetland pony, a dairy cow, and a sheep.
J Vector Ecol, 40(2), 308-317.
https://doi.org/10.1111/jvec.12169 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Epidemiology, Crisis Organization and Diagnostics, Central Veterinary Institute (CVI) part of Wageningen UR, P.O. Box 65, NL-8200AB Lelystad, the Netherlands. armin.elbers@wur.nl.
- Via Pratarone 14, Rocca di Cave, Roma 00030, Italy.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Cattle
- Ceratopogonidae / physiology
- Feeding Behavior
- Female
- Horses
- Host Specificity
- Insect Bites and Stings / epidemiology
- Insect Bites and Stings / veterinary
- Insect Vectors
- Netherlands
- Sheep
Citations
This article has been cited 13 times.- Groschupp S, Kampen H, Werner D. Occurrence of putative Culicoides biting midge vectors (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) inside and outside barns in Germany and factors influencing their activity. Parasit Vectors 2023 Aug 31;16(1):307.
- Elbers ARW, Gonzales JL. Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) Abundance Is Influenced by Livestock Host Species and Distance to Hosts at the Micro Landscape Scale. Insects 2023 Jul 14;14(7).
- Fairbanks EL, Brennan ML, Mertens PPC, Tildesley MJ, Daly JM. Re-parameterization of a mathematical model of African horse sickness virus using data from a systematic literature search. Transbound Emerg Dis 2022 Jul;69(4):e671-e681.
- McDermott EG, Lysyk TJ. Sampling Considerations for Adult and Immature Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). J Insect Sci 2020 Nov 1;20(6).
- Veronesi E, Darpel K, Gubbins S, Batten C, Nomikou K, Mertens P, Carpenter S. Diversity of Transmission Outcomes Following Co-Infection of Sheep with Strains of Bluetongue Virus Serotype 1 and 8. Microorganisms 2020 Jun 5;8(6).
- England ME, Pearce-Kelly P, Brugman VA, King S, Gubbins S, Sach F, Sanders CJ, Masters NJ, Denison E, Carpenter S. Culicoides species composition and molecular identification of host blood meals at two zoos in the UK. Parasit Vectors 2020 Mar 16;13(1):139.
- Möhlmann TWR, Bekendam AM, van Kemenade I, Wennergren U, Favia G, Takken W, Koenraadt CJM. Latitudinal diversity of biting midge species within the Obsoletus group across three habitats in Europe. Med Vet Entomol 2019 Sep;33(3):420-426.
- Sohier C, Deblauwe I, De Deken R, Madder M, Fassotte C, Losson B, De Regge N. Longitudinal monitoring of Culicoides in Belgium between 2007 and 2011: local variation in population dynamics parameters warrant cautious use of monitoring data. Parasit Vectors 2018 Sep 17;11(1):512.
- Hope A, Gubbins S, Sanders C, Barber J, Stubbins F, Baylis M, Carpenter S. Sheep breed and shearing influences attraction and blood-feeding behaviour of Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) on a UK farm. Parasit Vectors 2018 Aug 20;11(1):473.
- Augot D, Hadj-Henni L, Strutz SE, Slama D, Millot C, Depaquit J, Millot JM. Association between host species choice and morphological characters of main sensory structures of Culicoides in the Palaeartic region. PeerJ 2017;5:e3478.
- Bessell PR, Searle KR, Auty HK, Handel IG, Purse BV, Bronsvoort BM. Assessing the potential for Bluetongue virus 8 to spread and vaccination strategies in Scotland. Sci Rep 2016 Dec 13;6:38940.
- Uiterwijk M, Jacobs F, de Boer K, Feddema AJ, Vloet RPM, Dik M, Gonzales JL, van Rijn PA, Elbers ARW, Holwerda M. Culicoides species involved in the BTV-3 epidemic, the Netherlands, 2023-2024. Med Vet Entomol 2026 Mar;40(1):111-122.
- Fairbanks EL, Daly JM, Tildesley MJ. Modelling the Influence of Climate and Vector Control Interventions on Arbovirus Transmission. Viruses 2024 Jul 30;16(8).
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