Diel and Seasonal Activity of Culicoides spp. (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) Near Yankeetown, Florida, Monitored with a Vehicle-mounted Insect Trap

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Abstract
Seasonal occurrence and diel and lunar periodicities of adult Culicoides mississippiensisHoffman, Culicoides furens (Poey), Culicoides barbosai Wirth & Blanton, and Culicoides floridensis Beck were studied near Yankeetown, Levy County, Fla., from May 1983 to July 1984. A vehicle-mounted insect trap was used to collect ca. 300,000 individuals in flight. C. mississippiensis was the only species active throughout the year; it was also most abundant, representing >65% of total catch. C. furens and C. barbosai were collected in spring, summer, and fall, whereas C. floridensis was primarily a summer species. Diel and lunar periodicities varied seasonally for most species. Peaks of activity occurred most frequently during morning and evening twilight periods. The morning peak was the greater of the two for C. barbosai, but C. furens and C. mississippiensis were more abundant during evening twilight. Activity of females and males declined after sunset, but females remained relatively active throughout the night at full moon.

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