Host Preferences of Vector Culicoides (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae, Culicoides Latreille) Species in Turkiye

Determination of host preferences of blood-feeding arthropods is an important criterion for how ectoparasite-host interactions, host selection, and feeding behaviour affects pathogen transmission. This study aimed to examine the host's blood from engorged Culicoides species collected from cattle farms in Turkey to shed light on their host preferences. For this purpose, we investigated the blood of 5 different hosts (cattle, sheep, dog, horse, and human) in 7 Culicoides species/species complexes by multiplex-PCR analysis, considering the domestic animals on the farms. Engorged Culicoides specimens were collected from places in Turkey with different geographical and ecological characteristics. A total of 1225 female Culicoides belonging to 7 different species/species complexes namely C. obsoletus complex (C. obsoletus and C. scoticus) (n:450), C. schultzei complex (n:234), C. imicola (n:208), C. punctatus (n:162), C. newsteadi (n:144), C. lupicaris (n:24), and C. pulicaris (n:3) were analysed for host blood identification. Abdomens of the engorged midges were separated from their body and pooled according to the date of collection and species. A total of 69 pools consisting of 1-28 specimens were analysed by multiplex-PCR and only cattle blood was detected in all pools. This study presents the first data on the identification of host preference of some Culicoides species in Turkey.