''Culicoides obsoletus'' the name of a species (and a species group) of
midge
A midge is any small fly, including species in several families of non- mosquito Nematoceran Diptera. Midges are found (seasonally or otherwise) on practically every land area outside permanently arid deserts and the frigid zones. Some m ...
s in the subgenus ''Avaritia''. According to a molecular phylogeny,
[ ] ''Avaritia'' is monophyletic, and ''Culicoides obsoletus'', ''
Culicoides scoticus'' and ''
Culicoides chiopterus'' should be part of the Obsoletus complex whereas ''
Culicoides dewulfi'' should be excluded from it.
The species group covers five closely related species:
* ''
Culicoides chiopterus''
* ''
Culicoides dewulfi''
* ''
Culicoides scoticus''
* ''Culicoides obsoletus''
* ''
Culicoides montanus''
Sometimes, a reference can be made to the
Obsoletus complex. This complex consists of three species, namely:
* ''Culicoides obsoletus''
* ''Culicoides scoticus''
* ''Culicoides montanus''
If reference is made only to
Culicoides obsoletus s.str., it means only
* ''Culicoides obsoletus''
''Culicoides obsoletus'' is thought to be the main vector of the
BTV8 outbreak in Northern Europe.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Culicoides Obsoletus
Culicoides