title: Some New Records ofCulicoidesSpecies (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) from Iran.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Biting midges of the genusCulicoidesact as vectors for important diseases affecting humans and both wild and domestic animals. Collection of adultCulicoidesspecimens in the near vicinity of vertebrate hosts is the major part of any bluetongue surveillance plan. There are old records ofCulicoidesspecies dated from 1963, 1968 and 1975. Therefore, it was decided to collect different ceratopogonids members using a light trap.
  
  
  METHODS
  One night catching using light traps with a suction fan was performed at representative sites (25 places) located in North Western Provinces (Ardebil, Eastern Azerbaijan, Western Azerbaijan and Zanjan) of Iran (suspected farms for clinical records of Bluetongue virus or serodiagnosis of the Bluetongue virus). Samples were detected and identified primarily and were sent to a reference center for final verification.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SevenCulicoidesspecies including (Culicoides circumscriptus,C. flavidus,C. longipennis,C. pulicaris,C. puncatatus,C. nubeculosus, and three species fromCulicoides(Oecacta) are under study in reference laboratory in Poland andC. puncticolliswere confirmed from Iran.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Morphological and explanation of each species was regarded in this study. In comparison to old record, there are four new records ofCulicoidesspecies from Iran and one species is regarded suspected for viral transmission.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Alborz, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abdigoudarzi
keywords: Ceratopogonidae; Culicoides; Iran