MORPHOLOGICAL CONFIRMATION OF THE SEPARATE SPECIES STATUS OF CULICOIDES-(AVARITIA)-NUDIPALPIS DELFINADO, 1961 AND CULICODES-(AVARITA)-IMICOLA KIEFFER, 1913 (DIPTERA, CERATOPOGONIDAE)

Ten character states were used to compare five females and two males o f two populations of C. nudipalpis from the Philippines and Timer in s outh-east Asia with 121 females and 167 males of 11 populations of C. imicola collected throughout its Afro-Asiatic range. It is concluded t hat they are closely related but good species, and together form a sub group, or species-pair, in the Imicola group; currently this Old World group of the subgenus Avaritia comprises seven described species. Cul icoides nudipalpis and C. imicola are most reliably separated on the r atio of the length of the proboscis to the height of the head (P/H rat io: 0,66-0,73 in nudipalpis, 0,82-1,02 in imicola). Compared to C. imi cola very little is known of the life habits of C. nudipalpis. The lat ter's close taxonomic relationship to C. imicola, a proven vector of A frican horse sickness (AHS) and bluetongue (BT), indicates that the ca pacity of C. nudipalpis to vector these orbiviruses deserves to be inv estigated.