Host-feeding patterns of wild-caught Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in South Carolina, US

Hosts of blood-fed Culicoides were identified and correlations between host associations (mammal or bird) and the number of sensilla on the antennae and palps were assessed. Female Culicoides were collected using carbon-dioxide baited ultraviolet Centers for Disease Control light traps in forest and marsh habitats throughout South Carolina. Blood meals were identified by amplifying a fragment of the vertebrate cytochrome b gene by polymerase chain reaction. Blood meals from 14 females representing 4 species of Culicoides included white-throated sparrow, white-tailed deer, and wild boar. This study is one of the first to identify the specific hosts of wild-caught Culicoides. Further blood-meal identifications and assessment of the correlation between host association and sensilla number are pending.