title: Culicoides variipennis (Diptera:Ceratopogonidae) host selection in Colorado.
abstract: Drop traps containing either steer or ewe bait were used to investigate host selection and crepuscular period host seeking activity of Culicoides spp. at 2 farms in Colorado. Of the 1,103 Culicoides spp. collected, 755 were Culicoides variipennis (Coquillett). Of these, 86% were collected from steers and 14% from ewes. The engorgement rate of C. variipennis was 31% on steers and 6% on ewes. Culicoides crepuscularis Malloch was the 2nd most abundant species. Of the 253 collected, 39% were from the steers, and 61% were from ewes: The engorgement rate of the C. crepuscularis collected was 71% on ewes and 34% on steers. Thus, C. variipennis preferentially selected and fed upon cattle, whereas C. crepuscularis preferentially selected and fed upon sheep.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins 80523, USA.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Raich
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jacobson
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Holbrook
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Babion
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Blair
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Beaty
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002519:Ceratopogonidae / Q000502:physiology*; D003120:Colorado; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D012756:Sheep / Q000469:parasitology