ABSTRACT

This study was carried out in order to determine the nocturnal flight activities of Culicoides species during July, 1997 in Konya. Light traps were used for the collection of Culicoides specimens. They were placed in or nearby pens of poultry, sheep and cattle between the hours 20:00-22:00, 22:00-24:00, 24:00-02:00, 02:00-04:00, 04:00-06:00, and 06:00-08:00. A total of 4084 specimens were caught. Twelve species (C. puncticollis, C. maritimus, C. circumscriptus, C. punctatus, C. newsteadi, C. flavipulicaris, C. obsoletus, C. pulicaris, C. simulator, C. gejgelensis, C. salinarius, and C. vexans) were identified. C. puncticollis, C. maritimus, C. circumscriptus and C. punctatus were the most abundant species. It was found that the Culicoides species fly at night and their numbers decrease in the morning. The different species were observed to have different flight activities. A maximum number of C. puncticollis was captured in between the hours 20:00-22:00. A relatively high number of C. maritimus were caught between the hours of 20.00-22.00. Flight activity of this species peaked between the hours 22:00-24:00. The maximum number of C. circumscriptus was captured between the hours of 22:00-24:00 and 24:00-02:00. Flight activity of C. punctatus increased regularly from the hours of 20:00-22:00 until 02:00-04:00.