A video clip of the biting midge Culicoides anophelis ingesting blood from an engorged Anopheles mosquito in Hainan, China.
BACKGROUND
Biting midges are hematophagus ectoparasites of insects, humans and other animals. Culicoides (Trithicoides) anophelis Edwards1922 is a predator of engorged mosquitoes.


RESULTS
In a field trip of wild mosquito collections, C. anophelis was found on two Anopheles mosquitoes. One mosquito with a midge clinging onto its abdomen was caught on video demonstrating the act of the midge taking blood from the engorged mosquito Anopheles vagus. The midge C. anophelis has a broad host range. Documented in the literature, the midge has been found in various mosquito species in the genera Anopheles, Culex, Aedes and Armigeres.


CONCLUSIONS
A video clip was presented demonstrating a midge taking blood from an engorged mosquito. The host promiscuity of C. anophelis raises a concern about its potential as a mechanic or biological vector to spread viruses among mosquito populations.
Department of Tropical Infectious Diseases, Second Military Medical University, 800 Xiangyin Road, 200433 Shanghai, China. yajun_ma@163.com.
Yajun
Y
Ma
Jiannong
J
Xu
Zhenzhou
Z
Yang
Xiaohua
X
Wang
Zhongling
Z
Lin
Wei
W
Zhao
Yan
Y
Wang
Xiangyu
X
Li
Hua
H
Shi
D000818:Animals; D000852:Anopheles / Q000469:parasitology*; D002519:Ceratopogonidae / Q000502:physiology*; D002681:China; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D006801:Humans; D011235:Predatory Behavior; D014741:Video Recording