MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF TWO Culicoides Latreille BITING MIDGES (DIPTERA, CERATOPOGONIDAE) WITH A NEW RECORD FOR TURKISH FAUNA

Abstract

This study was carried out in May-October 2013 and May-November 2017 in Sinop Province (Western Black Sea Region-Turkey). The Culicoides Latreille biting midges were collected with light traps and mounted on microscope slides in phenol-Canada balsam. The basic morphological features of Culicoides clastrieri Callot, Kremer & Deduit, 1962 and Culicoides tbilisicus Dzhafarov, 1964 in Sinop (Turkey) province were studied. Culicoides clastrieri is recorded for the first time from Turkey. Thus, the number of Culicoides species in Turkey reached to 72. In addition, the first taxonomic measurements and data of males and females of the poorly-known C. tbilisicus, whose distribution in Turkey was reported recently, were evaluated.