Biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) from Martín García Island, Argentina

Nearly 230 species of biting midges have been recorded or described from Argentina; 38 of them are known from the Buenos Aires province and only one is cited from Martín García Island. This paper presents the results raised from six collecting trips which took place on the island during spring 2005, summer 2006 and autumn 2009. Diverse sampling sites including permanent and temporary aquatic environments were chosen, most of the ten sampling sites were ponds of diverse origin, some of these environments were covered with floating vegetation as Lemna gibba, Lemna minuscule, Salvinia biloba, Salvinia minima, Azolla filiculoides, Limnobium laevigatum, Pistia stratiotes, Spirodela intermedia, Wolffiella oblonga and Wolffia columbiana. Other sites were placed in urban and suburban areas. Adults were collected with sweep nets at sunrise and sunset and with light traps at intervals of four to five hours at night, depending on electricity availability on the island. Larvae and pupae were collected with different implements depending on characteristics of each surveyed aquatic habitat. In free standing water, they were captured with small sieves or hand pipettes and micropipettes, flotation techniques were utilized for sampling vegetated areas, free and rooted floating hydrophytes were extracted for removing insects among them. Thirteen species of Ceratopogonidae were collected, three of Atrichopogon Kieffer, three of Forcipomyia Meigen, two of Dasyhelea Kieffer, four of Culicoides Latreille, and one of Bezzia Kieffer, all representing new records from the island. Rev. Biol. Trop. 59 (3): 1183-1194. Epub 2011 September 01.

Alrededor de 230 especies de ceratopogónidos han sido registradas o descritas en Argentina, 38 de ellas son conocidas para la provincia de Buenos Aires y sólo una ha sido previamente citada para la Isla Martín García. En este trabajo se presentan los resultados obtenidos a partir de muestreos realizados en seis viajes a la isla durante la primavera de 2005, verano de 2006 y otoño de 2009; se seleccionaron diez sitios de muestreo con ambientes acuáticos permanentes y temporales. La mayoría de los muestreos se llevaron a cabo en cuerpos de agua de diverso origen; algunos de éstos se hallaban cubiertos con vegetación flotante compuesta por Lemna gibba, Lemna minuscule, Salvinia biloba, Salvinia minima, Azolla filiculoides, Limnobium laevigatum, Pistia stratiotes, Spirodela intermedia, Wolffiella oblonga y Wolffia columbiana; mientras que los restantes se realizaron en zonas urbanas y suburbanas. Los adultos se capturaron con redes entomológicas a la salida y puesta del sol y con trampas de luz a intervalos de cuatro a cinco horas por la noche, dependiendo de la disponibilidad de electricidad en la isla. Las larvas y pupas fueron recolectadas con diferentes metodologías según las características de los ambientes estudiados; en el agua libre se capturaron con tamices pequeños o pipetas y micropipetas, y en cuerpos de agua con vegetación se utilizó la técnica de flotación para separar los insectos de las hidrófitas flotantes y arraigadas. Se identificaron trece especies de Ceratopogonidae, 3 de Atrichopogon Kieffer, 3 de Forcipomyia Meigen, 2 de Dasyhelea Kieffer, 4 de Culicoides Latreille, y uno de Bezzia Kieffer, todos ellos representan nuevos registros para la isla.

The bloodsucking biting midges of Argentina (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

A key is presented for the identification of the adults of 54 species of bloodsucking ceratopogonids, 51 of which are known inhabitants of Argentina, and Culicoides uruguayensis Ronderos, C. pifanoi Ortiz, and C. trilineatus Fox, which are known to occur in bordering Uruguay and Paraguay. Wing photographs are provided of females of the 45 species of Culicoides. Three new species of Culicoides Latreille from Northeastern Argentina are described and illustrated: C. austroparaensis Spinelli, C. bachmanni Spinelli, and C. williamsi Spinelli. The following six species are recorded for the first time from Argentina and/or bordering localities in Paraguay: Leptoconops brasiliensis (Lutz), C. gabaldoni Ortiz, C. ginesi Ortiz, C. pifanoi Ortiz, C. pseudocrescentis Tavares and Luna Dias, and C. trilineatus; and C. estevezae Ronderos and Spinelli is newly recorded from Misiones province of Argentina. C. lopesi Barretto is excluded from the Argentinean ceratopogonid fauna.