Abstract
Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopognidae) cause pain and distress through blood feeding, and transmit viruses that threaten both animal and human health worldwide. There are few effective tools for monitoring and control of biting midges, with semiochemical-based strategies offering the advantage of targeting host-seeking populations. In previous studies, we identified the host preference of multiple Culicoides species, including Culicoides impunctatus, as well as cattle-derived compounds that modulate the behavioral responses of C. nubeculosus under laboratory conditions. Here, we test the efficacy of these compounds, when released at different rates, in attracting C. impunctatus under field conditions in Southern Sweden. Traps releasing 1-octen-3-ol, decanal, phenol, 4-methylphenol or 3-propylphenol, when combined with carbon dioxide (CO2), captured significantly higher numbers of C. impunctatus compared to control traps baited with CO2 alone, with low release rates (0.1 mg h−1, 1 mg h−1) being generally more attractive. In contrast, traps releasing octanal or (E)-2-nonenal at 1 mg h−1 and 10 mg h−1 collected significantly lower numbers of C. impunctatus than control traps baited with CO2 only. Nonanal and 2-ethylhexanol did not affect the attraction of C. impunctatus when compared to CO2 alone at any of the release rates tested. The potential use of these semiochemicals as attractants and repellents for biting midge control is discussed.
Highlights
Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopognidae) are vectors of viruses of both medical and veterinary importance (Purse and Venter 2015)
This indicated that a significant difference existed between the number of biting midges collected by traps baited with nonanal released at 0.1 mg h−1 and 10 mg h−1 (Fig. 2)
The release rate of decanal was found to have an impact on the numbers of biting midges collected (χ2 = 22.1, df = 3, P < 0.001; Fig. 2, bottom left), and traps baited with decanal released at the two lower rates collected a significantly higher number of biting midges than the CO2-only control trap
Summary
Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopognidae) are vectors of viruses of both medical and veterinary importance (Purse and Venter 2015). Even in the absence of disease, the pain and distress of Culicoides blood feeding causes major economic losses (Mordue and Mordue 2003), and can result in life-threatening allergic reactions (Carpenter et al 2008a). Culicoides impunctatus is geographically one of the most widespread pest species of biting midge across the West Palaearctic region (Mathieu et al 2012). The species has a broad host range, including both wildlife and livestock (Blackwell et al 1995), and causes economic losses to tourism and forestry through voracious blood feeding on people (Hendry and Godwin 1988).
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