Abstract:
To implement risk management against diseases transmitted by Culicoides species
Latreille, 1809 (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) it will be essential to identify all potential vectors. Light
traps are the most commonly used tool for the collection of Culicoides midges. Taking into account
the indiscriminative artificial attraction of light, these traps will collect all night flying insects and not
only livestock associated Culicoides midges. Factors that could increase the efficacy of these traps for
especially livestock associated Culicoides midges need to be investigated. In the present study, results
obtained with CDC- and Onderstepoort light traps baited with CO2 were compared to those of unbaited
traps. Comparisons were done in two replicates of a 4 x 4 randomized Latin square design.
With both traps, the mean numbers of Culicoides midges collected in 16 baited collections were
higher than those in 16 un-baited collections. Despite exceptionally low numbers collected with the
CDC traps, the increase in the numbers and frequency of collection of Culicoides imicola Kieffer,
1913 was more pronounced in the CDC compared to that in the Onderstepoort trap. These results
indicate that the addition of CO2 could increase the efficiency of these traps for the collection of C.
imicola, and other livestock associated Culicoides species.
