Pathogens of Ceratopogonidae (midges)

IX. PATHOGENS OF CERATOPOGONIDAE (MIDGES) Willis W. Wirth Systematic Entomology Laboratory, IIBIII Federal Research, Science and Education Administration United States Department ofAgriculture clo US National Museum, Washington, DC 20560, USA 99 Un I- 4.) 44 0 5-4 94)'.4 (-41 0. M4g 0 w 0.. 4) 0 z (C) C- 0% '-4 - U.4) r-'0% 4.),-. 4) %-.1 414):t Ca cn 1%0 0% '.- 0% 94) 0. '.W 4d -4 -A 54 4) co 0 A a -1 '.4 0 I 0 0. 4) 4) '~1 -.4 1-40 0 4) 4) la -'4 0 '4) "4. %0 ('. 4)4) 10 X., 0.4) r4. 4) N0 co 4.) '.4z ax~~~~~~c v4) 0o <. 0 )I)Vco toC:t a o : ~~~~~~~~~o 4) to4) to 4) 4)1V4 U-4 4) to . a 0 "4 -A4)O '0 -.U0 0,4)I-4 U 4 40 U 4> _-44 (.Z N _. O ..4 to 3 1 C > am " C W U04 100 r-I 0% V4) 0 .0 (.5 r- 0% r4) 4-4 0 coH .0 4t'% I-. 0% '.4 10 4) '.4 a0 '.84) '0 '.4 F4) co 0 4) -.4 9-4 Enfi p 0 z 0 u4 z; W 4) 0 4u5r. e owt 4)0 44 54 0'0 >% -4 .00 4 .v 44 :t '.4 r4) 0 4) 0 0 1 "4 4)00 0 .0 4) 10 '0 0 4.) 44 44) 4) 0 0 0 4) A >, "4 '.4 '-4 .0 4co M5 4 4)'-0 go 0 4) 4) d4 0 S - ,-44M 54 0 04) 00 U ,-4 0.4)C) U Mf 0 I..4 0 > 0 54 W _O $4 U Z Cd t .94 00 -.4 4)O 0 '4 00 4-' co '-4 P4 4) 4.) r-4 - 0 c- -4: 0. 4) M 4) 40 '0 "4 UX 8 0 4 oQ 0 "4 cd PX " C; ) P~ C01 04-4 101 ABSTRACTS *Clark, T. B., & O'Grady, J. J. (1975). Non-occluded virus-like particles in larvae of Culicoides cavaticus (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). J. Invert. Pathol., 26: 415-417. Larvae of Culicoides cavaticus collected from tree holes in California exhibited symptoms of a disease similar to that caused by the "tetragonal virus" in mosquitos in California and Louisiana. Infected larvae were easily identified by their sluggish activity, which contrasted sharply with their normally rapid swinuing movements. In the original collection, all the Culicoides larvae died; in subsequent collections, mortality rate ranged from 70 to 90%. Non-occluded virus-like particles from various tissues were observed with the aid of an electron microscope. Apparently normal larvae usually died about 3 days after exposure to water contaminated with the remains of larvae killed by the disease. Attempts to infect Culex and Aedes mosquito larvae and Musca domestica larvae by feeding them infected Culicoides tissues were negative. *Hommel, M. & Croft, S. L. (1975). A trypanosomatid parasite of laboratory-bred Culicoides variipennis. Trans. Roy. Soc. Trop. Med. Hyx., 69: 431. A naturally occurringflagellate identified as a species of Herpetomonas was found infecting 2 to 5% of the adults in the laboratory colony of Culicoides variipennis at Pirbright, England. The parasites were always localized in the Malpighian tubules and sometimes in the midgut and hindgut of the adult midges, and occurred in either opisthomastigote or promastigote stages with a long flagellum. In culture on 4N medium, the parasites transformed into aflagellar multiplicative stages with a high degree of polymorphism. The forms with long flagella reappeared in culture after 6 to 8 days. The life cycle was not worked out, but the authors believed that probably early stage midge larvae were infected by forms released by the adult midges. This was the first record of a Herpetomonas in the family Ceratopogonidae. *Levchenko, N. G., & Issi, I. V. (1973). Microsporida of blood-sucking Diptera. In: Dubitskii, A. N., ed. Regulators of the Numbers of Blood-suckinR Flies in South- eastern Kazakhstan. Kazakh. Acad. Sci., Alma-Ata. USSR, 168 pp., pp. 42-64. (In Russ.). Plistophora culicoidi sp. n. is described from Culicoides sp. Also an unnamed species "Nosema sp. n." is reported from Culicoides. *Levchenko, N. G. et al. (1971). Detection of Microsporida in larvae of mosquitoes and midges. Alma Ata Akad. Nauk Kazakh. SSR Khabarshysy Vestn., 9: 69-70. (In Russ.). Microsporida, possibly Amblyospora (Thelohania), have been found infecting larvae of Culex pipiens, Aedes cinereus, Ae. kasachstanicus, Ae. stramineus, and Culicoides sp. in Kazakhstan. *Phelps, R. J., & Mokry, J. E. (1976). Culicoides species (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) as potential vectors of filariasis in Rhodesia. J. Ent. Soc. South. Afr., 39: 201-206. During a search for filarial nematodes in the bodies of female Culicoides midges in Burma Valley, Rhodesia in 1971-1972, parasites belonging to 2 groups of non-filariid nematodes were found in 5 species of Culicoides. Undetermined species of Mermithoidea were found in the abdomens of C. babrius, inornatipennis, praetermissus, pycnostictus, and ravus; incidence varied from 0.08% of total flies caught in C. ravus to 15.49% in C. inornatipennis. In C. ravus, 1.26% of total flies caught were also infected in the abdomen with immatures of Entaphelenchidae. The latter record is in some doubt as the previously known host range includes only Coleoptera. 102 *Sweeney, A. W. (1975). The insect pathogenic fungus Culicinomyces in mosquitos and other hosts. Aust. J. Zool., 23: 59-64. The host range of an Australian Culicinomyces sp. was examined by testing against aquatic insects, shrimp, and fish. Larval Culicidae (Anopheles annulipes, An. amictus hilli, Aedes australis, and Culex quinauefasciatus. Chironomidae (Chironomus sp.), and Ceratopogonidae (Dasyhelea and Bezzia spp.) were susceptible. Another dipteran, Psychodidae (Telmatoscopus albipunctatus) was not susceptible. Caddis-fly larvae (Trichoptera), dragonfly naiads (Zygoptera and Anisoptera), freshwater shrimp (Atyidae), and Gambusia fish were all nonsusceptible. *Sweeney, A. W. et al. (1973). A fungal pathogen for mosquito larvae with potential as a microbial insecticide. Search 4: 344-345. A fungal parasite was isolated from Anopheles amictus hilli. It appears to be a new pathogen of aquatic Diptera, but resembles the common terrestrial insect pathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae. Mosquito larvae of three genera, and unspecified larvae of Ceratopogonidae and Chironomidae are susceptible to infection. Infection by ingestion is effective against larvae which feed non-selectively. Prolonged subculturing did not lead to loss of pathogenicity. Wirth, W. W. (1977). A review of the pathogens and parasites of the biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). J. Washington Acad. Sci., 67: 60-75. A review is presented of all published information on parasites and pathogens of biting midges of the dipterous family Ceratopogonidae. Viruses furnished two records; Rickettsiae one; Bacteria six; Fungi eight; Protozoa 23; Nematoda 21; Acarina 18; and Insecta Hymenoptera four. A bibliography of 90 titles is given. It is believed that mermithid nematode parasites offer some promise in biological control of Culicoides disease vectors. Yaseen, M. (1974). Investigations into the possibilities of biological control of sandflies (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). Commonwealth Inst. Biol. Control (Trinidad) Tech. Bull. No. 17: 1-13. More than 1,000,000 Culicoides larvae and pupae were extracted from breeding habitats in Trinidad but no parasites or pathogens were found. Large numbers of dead Culicoides larvae were sent to the Unit of Invertebrate Virology, Oxford, England, for screening for pathogens, but none was detected. 103 The increasing volume of information concerning the pathogens of Simuliidae is evident from the fact that Strand et al. (in Roberts & Strand, 1977) listed 86 citations for 1967-1975, in comparison with Jenkins' (1964) listing of 64 for the whole period up to approximately 1962; while the present compilation covering only two years (the cut-off point for contributors to Roberts & Strand, 1977 having been during 1975) cites 66 additional titles. In addition to 1976-1977 citations, several papers overlooked in earlier bibliographies are mentioned. It should also be noted that in the list on page 214 of Strand et al. (1977), the name "Australosimulium" is incorrect and should be replaced by "Austrosimulium". During the period reported upon, a highlight for those interested in this field was the First Interregional Conference on North American Blackflies, which took place at Dixville Notch, New Hampshire, United States of America, from 30 January to 2 February 1977. There were presentations and discussions concerning the biocontrol prospects for blackflies within the broader concept of integrated control, and the Proceedings are to appear in mimeographed form, though not in time for inclusion in this paper; those wishing to obtain these Proceedings should contact Dr John Burger, Department of Entomology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire 03824, United States of America.