Saccharine ceratopogonids: Determining sugar-source associations of Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

Arboviruses have spread significantly across the world over the last several decades. The Culicoides biting midge is a small biting fly found across the globe, with numerous species shown to transmit viral pathogens such as African horse sickness virus, bluetongue virus, and epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus, posing significant threats to animal health. These diseases have no direct treatment and few vaccine options, so prevention through vector control is paramount. One promising method, the use of attractive toxic sugar baits (ATSBs), relies on the sugar-feeding behavior of adult midges. However, little is known about sugar-sources utilized by Culicoides and why those sources are chosen over others. The purpose of this study was to determine sugar-source associations of Culicoides midges from the Konza Prairie Biological Station near Manhattan, Kansas. Wild midges were collected from Konza Prairie and plant DNA was extracted from midge sugar-meals and sequenced using the barcode region psbA-trnH. Data suggests there are multiple plant families fed on by Culicoides spp, including Fabaceae, Poaceae, and Verbenaceae. Through this study, the sugar feeding habits of field midges were assessed, providing data that will inform design of lab-based choice assays to evaluate preference and inform improved ATSB design.