H. Nevill et Em. Nevill, A SURVEY OF THE CULICOIDES (DIPTERA, CERATOPOGONIDAE) OF THE UMLALAZINATURE-RESERVE IN ZULULAND, SOUTH-AFRICA, WITH NOTES ON 2 SPECIES BITING MAN, Onderstepoort journal of veterinary research, 62(1), 1995, pp. 51-58
Culicoides biting midges were intermittently collected between July 19
88 and December 1992 in the Umlalazi Nature. Reserve on the subtropica
l eastern coastal margin of South Africa. Altogether 34 species were c
ollected in a diversity of habitats that included a mangrove community
, dune forest and mixed thornveld. Most Culicoides were collected with
the aid of light traps and whilst biting man. The pupae of ten specie
s were collected from substrata in an open salt marsh, as well as from
fresh and stagnant groundwater situations. it was the first time that
the pupae of six of these ten species were collected. Of the species
collected in light traps, the two most abundant species, C. leucostict
us Kieffer (49,1% of 16563 identified) and C. rhizophorensis Khamala &
Kettle (22,3%), were also the two species found biting man. The larva
l habitat of C. leucostictus was widespread except in the more saline,
tidal areas, but that of C. rhizophorensis appeared to be restricted
to the tidal salt-marsh area. Two of the species collected, C. fulvith
orax Austen and C. moreli Clastrier, are new records for South Africa.