Annotated list of the Ceratopogonidae (Diptera) of Suriname James E. HUDSON(‘) Summary In collections from the toast, savanna andforest regions of Suriname, mainly from 1979-1982, Ceratopogonidae of 25 spe- cies (20 Culicoides, 3 Forcipomyia, 1 Atrichopogon and 1 Stilobezzia) were identified. Notes on their biology, distribu- tion and medical importance are included. Key words : Diptera - Ceratopogonidae - Culicoides - Forcipomyia - Atrichopogon - Stilobezzia - Suriname. Résumé LISTE ANNOTÉE DES CERATOPOGONIDAE DU SURINAM. Des captures effectuées dans 24 localités du Surinam situées dans la région côtière, dans la savane et en forêt, principalement au cours des années 1979-1982, ont permis l’identification de 25 espècesde Cératopogonides (20 Culicoides, 3 Forcipomyia, 1 Atrichopogon et 1 Stilobezzia). Les espèces les @us fré- quentes sur apjxît humain étaient Culicoides guyanensis dans la région côtière, C. travassosi dans la savane, C. paraensis et C. pseudodiabolicus en forêt. Des infections à Mansonella ont été observéeschez des habitants de la savane en 1982, mais leur fréquence paraît diminuer ; le vecteur non encore identifie; pourrait être C. travassosi. Mots-clés : Diptera - Ceratopogonidae - Culicoides - Forcipomyia - Atrichopogon - Stilobezzia - Surinam. 1. Introduction hand, some Ceratopogonids are benefïcial to us, such as those that pollinate rubber (Hevea) trees. Biting midges of the family Ceratopogonidae are Although biting midges are often severe pests in serious pests of people in many parts of the world, the coastal and savanna regions of Suriname (Where vectors of the human fïlaria worms Mansonella ozzardi, they are known as “ Mampieren “), and infections M. perstans and M. streptocerca (formerly Dipetalonema with M. ozzardi and M. perstans were once common perstans and D. streptocerca) and of arboviruses that in people of the savanna (Fros, 1956), the Cerato- infect humans such as Oropouche virus (Linley et al., pogonidae have been little studied in Suriname. 1983). They are also vectors of various animal Bruijning (1957) reported three species from collec- parasites including Onchocerca of horses and cattle, tions made in 1951-1955 : Cukoides debilipalpis, blue tongue virus of sheep and the Protozoa Haemo- C. paraensis and “ C. guttatus ” (which probably Proteus and Leucocytozoon of birds. On the other included several other species ; see section 6 below). (1) Entomologist, Mini+ of Health, Bureau of Public Health, P. 0. Box 767, Pammaribo, Surinam. Prmnt addren : X5, Sollershott East, Lctch- worth, Herts SG6 3JN, England. Cah. ORSTOM, sér. Ent. md. et Parasitol., vol. XXIV, no 4, 1986 : 293-301 .J. E. Hudson Wirth’s catalogue (1974) listed no Ceratopogonidae liquid phennl. The heads, bodies and wings were for Suriname specifically (though it falls within the then mounted on a microscope slide in separate small ranges he gave for some widespread species). By drops of a 1 : 1 mixture of liyuid phenol and Canada then, 43 species were known from Guyana and balsam (method of Wirth and Marston, 1968). When 18 from French Guyana. the mixture was almost dry the preparation was Durinç the course of other work for the Suri- covered with a larger drop ot Canada balsam and a name Mimstry of Health from 1979-1982, mainly on caver glass. the distribution of Anopheline mosquitoes (Hudson, Culcicoides specimens were identified with the aid 1984), 1 collectecl Ceratopogonids whenever possible, of publications by Wirth and Blanton (1973) and Ait- and also made 14 monthly visits to Matta, a village ken et al. (1975). A few slides of each opecies were in the savanna where Mansonelliasis was formerly sent to Dr W. W. Wirth at the U.S. National common in the inhabitants, for the primary purpose Museum, Washington, D.C., who confïrmed or cor- of collecting Ceratopogonidae. Rozendaal and rected the identifications. Specimens of Atrichopogon, Slnotweg (1984) collected Ceratopogonids and mos- Forcipomyia and Stilobezzia were kinclly identificd by quitors at two Amerindian villages, Bigi Poika and Dr Wirth. Nomenclature follows Wirth’s catalogue Galibi, from May to July 1982, as part of their study (1974). Almost a11 the slicles were left in the collec- of Mansonelliasis. The following list of species, tion of the Bureau of’ Public Health, Paramaribo. which is based on their records, Bruijning’s (1957) and my own, must be treated as provisional because rnany parts of Suriname have not yet been surveyed 3. Collections sites ancl further study would probably reveal many more species. Wirth and Blanton (1973) reported 60 spe- Al1 collection sites except Weg Naar Zee were cies of Culicoides alone from the Amazon region of within a few metres of human habitations. A map Brazil. of Suriname showing the main rivers, vegetation zones and four of the collection sites has been pub- lished recently (Hudson, 1984). Suriname is cus- 2. Collection and identification of specirnens tomarily divided into the toast, savanna and rain- (1979-82) forest regions. In the toast region, most of the shoreline and Thr midges were caught mostly at night, from river mouths are covered with mangrove and brack- hurnan bait or at lights, by touching them with a ish water swamp. The remainder of the toast small, wt‘t Paint brush, and transferring them tu a region, about 9 % of the total area of Suriname, has via1 of diluted liquid detergent. An alternative a natural caver of open swamp and hydrophytic method of catching midges around humans, tried at forest. Most of the cultivated land and the human Matta, Rigi Poika and Galibi, was the paddle trap population (total 352,000 in 1980) are found here. (Nathan, 1981 and refcrences therein), a 12 x 15 cm Collections were made in the capital, Paramaribo rectangle of plastic fly screen wetted with cooking oil (pop. 130,000) ; at the western border town of <and tnounted on a stick. The collecter whirled the Nieuw Nickerie ; behind the mangrove swamp at stick nround him, the midges stuck to the oil and Weg Naar Zee, on the toast northwest of Parama- were later removed by washing in detergent. This ribo ; at the farming community of Meerzog and the rnethod was convenient when there were too many Marienburg sugar estate, across the Suriname river midges to capture individually. Ceratopogonids from Paramaribo ; and at the Amerindian village of were also caught in CDC miniature light traps Galibi (by Rozendaal and Slootweg, 1984) at the (Hausshers Machine Works, Toms River, N.-J., mouth of the Marowijne (Maroni) river. U.S.A.), fïtted with cages of a material too fine to let Bekind the toast region is the savanna, about the rniclges through. In Paramaribo, the insects that 6 % of the total area, which is covered with quartz came to streetlamps of various types were compared sand and low, sparse vegetation except for the gallery by placing bowls of detergent solution under them forests along the rivers. The region is thinly popu- each night (Hudson, 1985), and the catches often lated. Collections were made at the Amerindian vil- included Ceratopogonids. lages of Bigi Poika (5’27’ N, 55’30’ W, by Rozen- Sprcirnens for taxonomie study were macerated daal and Slootweg, 19841, Pikien Saron (5’25’ N, by placing them overnight in Nesbitt’s solution (chlo- 55”22’ W), Matta (5’29 N, 55’21 W) and Bigiston rai hydrate 81) g. conc. HC1 5 ml, water 51) ml) «r in (5’25’ N, 54’08’ W, on the Marowijne), and at the Annoted list of the Ceratopogonidae (Diptera) of Suriname 295 agricultural experiment station of Coebiti (55’22’ N, biting species were Culicoides paraensis and C. pseudo- 53“30’ W). On each of the 15 monthly visits to diabolicus in the rainforest, C. travassosi in the savanna Matta, a human bait catch was made beside a house and C. guyanensis in the toast region. C. foxi was the from 18 00-20 00 hrs and the CDC trap run for the only species represented in a11 three regions. Midge same period at the edge of a nearby thicket. There nuisance was much more severe on the toast and on is also some savanna in the extreme south of Suri- the savanna than it ever was in the rainforest, where name, on the Brazilian border, but no collections the appearance of C. paraensis at human bait was spo- were made there. radie and unpredictable. The remainder of Suriname is mostly covered Nearly a11 the Ceratopogonids from the CDC with mesophytic rainforest, part of the northern trap in the rainforest were caught at Aseli Kamp in Amazon forest system. It is inhabited by about May and June 1981, and they were mainly Culicoides 30,000 Maroons (the descendants of escaped African hJ)las and other species not taken at human bait. slaves) and 2,000 Amerindians, who practise shifting The CDC trap at Matta never caught any Ceratopo- cultivation near the river banks. The greatest num- gonids, though many Culicoidcs travassosi were caught ber of collections (509 man-hours of human bait on human bait nearby. Captures at lights in the catches, 52 nights with the CDC trap) were made at toast region also consisted mainly of species not Aseli Kamp (4’17’ N, 54“23’ W), a semi-permanent taken at human bait. settlement of seven houses on the Lawa river, as part of a study of Anopheles darlingi (Hudson, 1984). Ceratopogonidae were also caught on human bait at 5. Notes on particular species the Maroon settlements of Stoelmans Eiland (4”22’ N, 54”24’ W) on the Lawa river ; Drietab- Br = record from Bruijning (1957) ; R & S = betje (4”06 N, 54”42’ W) and Godoholo (4’00’ N, record from Rozendaal and Slootweg (1984). Other 54O49’ W) on the Tapanahony ; Victoria Oil Palm records are based on collections by the author and Estate (5OO8’ N, 55’00’ W) on the Suriname ; Poe- assistants, unless otherwise indicated.