Afrotropical Culicoides : a redescription of C. (Avaritia) imicola Kieffer, 1913 (Diptera : Ceratopogonidae) with description of the closely allied C. (A.) bolitinos sp. nov. reared from the dung of the African buffalo, blue wildebeest and cattle in South Africa

Abstract

Culicoides (Avaritia) imicola, Kieffer is redescribed and its current worldwide distribution reviewed. It is compared with the closely allied C. (A.) bolitinos sp. nov. Descriptions of both sexes of C. imicola and C. bolitinos sp. nov. are based entirely on series of reared adults. T-tests were performed on antennal and palpal data to differentiate more clearly these 2 species. The results are tabulated. Short notes are given on the larval habitat of C. bolitinos sp. nov. in South Africa, namely the dung of the African buffalo, Syncerus caffer, the blue wildebeest, Connochaetes taurinus, and cattle, Bos races. The existence of C. bolitinos in Nigeria, Kenya, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and South Africa is established while C. imicola is newly recorded from Malawi, Botswana, Namibia and Swaziland. Finally seven references in the literature are shown to refer either to C. bolitinos sp. nov. or to closely allied as yet undescribed species.