Mosquito repellent attracts Culicoides imicola (Diptera : Ceratopogonidae)

A plant-derived mosquito repellent, based on the oil of Eucalyptus maculata var. citriodora Hook, was evaluated against the biting midge Culicoides im icola Kieffer. Suction black light-traps covered with repellent-impregnated polyester mesh and deplored near horses attracted large numbers of C. imic ola, which were seen near the treated net within a few minutes of the start of the experiment. initial collections in the traps were approximate to 3 times as large as those in control traps with untreated mesh. Numbers colle cted in treated traps were similar to untreated control traps after 4 h. Tr aps with mesh treated with DEET or another plant-derived (Meliaceae) propri etary product, AG1000, acted as repellents relative to the control. The dif ferential activity of repellents against blood-feeding Diptera is discussed .