Prevalence and Age Grading of Two Common Culicoides species, in Farms of Warangal Districts of Telangana State, South India

Dasma Bai Banothu; Placid E. D’ Souza; Manchukonda Udaya Kumar; T. Venkatesan; G. S. Sreenivasa Murthy

doi:10.5455/ijlr.20210124095103

Authors

Dasma Bai Banothu Professor & University Head, Department of Veterinary Parasitology, College of Veterinary Science, PVNRTV University, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, Telangana, INDIA
Placid E. D’ Souza Professor & University Head, Department of Veterinary Parasitology, College of Veterinary Science, PVNRTV University, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, Telangana, INDIA
Manchukonda Udaya Kumar Professor & University Head, Department of Veterinary Parasitology, College of Veterinary Science, PVNRTV University, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, Telangana, INDIA
T. Venkatesan Principal Scientist, ICAR-NBAIR, Hebbal, Bengaluru, INDIA
G. S. Sreenivasa Murthy Professor & Head, Department of Veterinary Parasitology, College of Veterinary Science, PVNRTV University, Korutla, Jagtial, Telangana, INDIA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5455/ijlr.20210124095103%20%20%20%20%20%20%20

Keywords:

Culicoides species, UV light trap, Age grading, Telangana

Abstract

The prevalence and age grading of Culicoides midges from Telangana State, South India was studied considering the species as pests and vectors of Blue tongue virus in sheep and cattle. We investigated their species composition, abundance, host preference and conducted their age grading. The morphological characters were used for specific identification of midges. The midges were collected from two different farms from Warangal rural and urban districts (cattle and sheep) using CDC-UV light trap, for the period of one year (September 2017 to August 2018). A total of 28,000 flies were collected of which 25,000 (83.33%) were female and 3,000 (16.66%) were males. The species included 10,500 (58.33%) C. oxystoma, 7,500 (41.66 %) C. imicola from cattle farms 10,000 flies from sheep farms including C. imicola 6,500 (65%) and C. oxystoma 3,500 (35%). The age grading of Culicoides revealed significant proportion of parous females which play an important role in transmission of Blue Tongue Disease virus.

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