Diversity and abundance of Culicoides on goat and cattle farms in the southern part of the Republic of Korea.

Abstract

Biting midges of the genus Culicoides Latreille (Ceratopogonidae) pose a significant threat to veterinary health as vectors of over 60 viruses, most of which affect livestock. In this study, we used light traps to sample Culicoides populations on cattle and goat farms from May to October 2023 at 15 sites in Gyeongsangnam-do, Jeollanam-do, and Jeju Island, South Korea. Diversity and abundance were analysed based on the collection date, environmental conditions, and host species. A total of 124,055 individuals were collected, comprising 14 previously recorded and two newly recorded species: C. asiana and C. palawanensis. The dominant species was C. arakawae, which accounted for 80.60% of the total collected individuals, followed by C. punctatus (10.25%), and C. tainanus (3.36%), while the remaining 13 species constituted 5.80% of the collection. Total Culicoides abundance peaked in August (40.15%), driven largely by fluctuations in C. arakawae abundance, but the seasonal abundances of individual species varied. Culicoides arakawae and C. punctatus were dominant on the mainland, while C. matsuzawai, C. lungchiensis, and C. tainanus were dominant on Jeju Island. The dominant species on cattle farms were C. arakawae and C. punctatus, while C. arakawae dominated in collections from goat farms. The detection of two new species records suggests that the fauna of South Korea is still incompletely understood.