Culicoidini

Belongs within: Ceratopogonidae.

The Culicoidini are a group of biting midges whose females commonly feed on the blood of vertebrates, with some Culicoides species being vectors of parasites or viruses. Some species can be significant pests in the latter regard, with attacks from Culicoides furens in coastal regions in Central America being bad enough to preclude human habitation in some locations (Borkent et al. 2009). Members of the genus Paradasyhelea have the palps and mouthparts reduced relative to Culicoides, and females lack the teeth on the mandible of the latter genus (Downes & Wirth 1981).

Subgenera of Culicoides are distinguished by features of the genitalia with members of subgenus Selfia having unsclerotised spermathecae and small, broadly fused parameres (Downes & Wirth 1981).

Characters (from Downes & Wirth 1981): Female antenna with 13 flagellomeres. Prescutal pits prominent. Wing with macrotrichia usually abundant; cell r₁ and cell r₂₊₃ both usually well-developed, similar in size; M forking beyond crossvein r-m, medial fork petiolate. Empodia small; claws of both sexes small, equal, and simple.

<==CulicoidiniBSG09
    |--ParadasyheleaDW81
    |    |--P. minutaDW81
    |    `--P. olympiaeDW81
    `--CulicoidesBSG09
         |  i. s.: C. angularisCM91
         |         C. anophelisCM91
         |         C. antennalisCM91
         |         C. arubaeBSG09
         |         C. austeniA71
         |         C. barbosaiBSG09
         |         C. brevitarsisCM91
         |         C. caseiP92
         |         C. castillaeWB56
         |         C. equatoriensisWB56
         |         C. filariferBSG09
         |         C. foxiBSG09
         |         C. furensBSG09
         |         C. gabaldoniWB56
         |         C. grahamiA71
         |         C. impunctatusA71
         |         C. inornatipennisA71
         |         C. insignisBSG09
         |         C. insinuatus Ortiz & Leon 1955WB56
         |         C. marmoratusCM74
         |         C. ornatusL91
         |         C. paraensisBSG09
         |         C. phlebotomusBSG09
         |         C. pseudodiabolicusBSG09
         |         C. pulicarisA71
         |         C. punctataR26
         |         C. pusillusBSG09
         |         C. yoostiGE05
         |         C. debilipalpis groupWB56
         |           |--C. dasyophrus Macfie 1940WB56
         |           |--C. debilipalpis [incl. C. debilipalpis var. glabrior Macfie 1940]WB56
         |           |--C. germanus Macfie 1940WB56
         |           |--C. hoffmani Fox 1946WB56
         |           `--C. trilineatus Fox 1946WB56
         |--C. (Culicoides) yukonensisM90
         |--C. (Avaritia) obsoletusDW81
         |--C. (Beltranmyia) crepuscularisDW81
         |--C. (Diphaomyia) haematopotusDW81
         |--C. (Drymodesmyia) copiosusDW81
         |--C. (Monoculicoides) variipennisM90
         `--C. (Selfia) hieroglyphicusDW81

*Type species of generic name indicated

References

[A71] Askew, R. R. 1971. Parasitic Insects. Heinemann Educational Books: London.

[BSG09] Borkent, A., G. R. Spinelli & W. L. Grogan Jr. 2009. Ceratopogonidae (biting midges, purrujas). In: Brown, B. V., A. Borkent, J. M. Cumming, D. M. Wood, N. E. Woodley & M. A. Zumbado (eds) Manual of Central American Diptera vol. 1 pp. 407–435. NRC Research Press: Ottawa.

[CM74] Colless, D. H., & D. K. McAlpine. 1974. Diptera (flies). In: CSIRO. The Insects of Australia: A textbook for students and research workers. Supplement 1974 pp. 91–96. Melbourne University Press.

[CM91] Colless, D. H., & D. K. McAlpine. 1991. Diptera (flies). In: CSIRO. The Insects of Australia: A textbook for students and research workers 2^nd ed. vol. 2 pp. 717–786. Melbourne University Press: Carlton (Victoria).

[DW81] Downes, J. A., & W. W. Wirth. 1981. Ceratopogonidae. In: McAlpine, J. F., B. V. Peterson, G. E. Shewell, H. J. Teskey, J. R. Vockeroth & D. S. Wood (eds) Manual of Nearctic Diptera vol. 1 pp. 393–421. Research Branch, Agriculture Canada.

[GE05] Grimaldi, D., & M. S. Engel. 2005. Evolution of the Insects. Cambridge University Press: New York.

[L91] Liehne, P. F. S. 1991. An Atlas of the Mosquitoes of Western Australia. Health Department of Western Australia.

[M90] McAlpine, J. F. 1990. Insecta: Diptera adults. In: Dindal, D. L. (ed.) Soil Biology Guide pp. 1211–1252. John Wiley & Sones: New York.

[P92] Poinar, G. O., Jr. 1992. Life in Amber. Stanford University Press: Stanford.

[R26] Risso, A. 1826. Histoire naturelle des principales productions de l’Europe méridionale et particulièrement de celles des environs de Nice et des Alpes maritimes vol. 5. F.-G. Levrault: Paris.

[WB56] Wirth, W. W., & F. S. Blanton. 1956. Redescriptions of four species of Neotropical Culicoides of the debilipalpis group (Diptera: Heleidae). Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences 46 (6): 186–190.