Description of breeding sites of Culicoides species (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in Turkey.

The aim of this study was to describe the breeding sites of Culicoides species in Konya province, Turkey. The samples taken from 11 different habitats in Konya province were examined for Culicoides species. The collected adult Culicoides specimens were reared in plastic buckets in our laboratory. Among 2,798 specimens reared, 18 species were identified. Culicoides circumscriptus Kieffer, 1918 was the most abundant species reared in the samples taken from mud rich in organic matters near the water reservoirs; C. circumscriptus, C. nubeculosus (Meigen), 1830 and C. shaklawensis Khalaf, 1957 in moist soil with organic matter; C. geigelensis Dzhafarov, 1964 in moist soils, along watering channels and dripping waters; C. festivipennis Kieffer, 1914 and C. circumscriptus along sewage channel; C. festivipennis in reed sites and along garden watering channels; C. circumscriptus in rain pools; C. odiatus Austen, 1921 and C. circumscriptus in mud near the dams; C. geigelensis and C. kibunensis Tokunaga, 1937 from sites along the stream. No Culicoides was reared in the samples obtained from livestock dung and tree holes. It was observed that C. circumscriptus, C. festivipennis and C. shaklawensis preferred mud rich in organic matters near the water reservoirs. Culicoides imicola Kieffer, 1913, which is the main vector of bluetongue, was not detected in Konya province. The others vectors of bluetongue, C. obsoletus gr. (Meigen), 1818, C. schultzei gr. (Enderlein), 1908 and C. pulicaris (Linnaeus), 1758 were only obtained in little numbers.