''Simulium'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of black flies, which may transmit diseases such as

onchocerciasis Onchocerciasis, also known as river blindness, is a disease caused by infection with the parasitic worm ''Onchocerca volvulus''. Symptoms include severe itching, bumps under the skin, and blindness. It is the second-most common cause of blindne ...

(river blindness). It is a large genus with almost 2,000 species and 38

subgenera In biology, a subgenus ( subgenera) is a taxonomic rank directly below genus. In the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between the ge ...

. The flies are pool feeders. Their saliva, which contains anticoagulants, a number of

enzyme An enzyme () is a protein that acts as a biological catalyst by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrate (chemistry), substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different mol ...

s and

histamine Histamine is an organic nitrogenous compound involved in local immune responses communication, as well as regulating physiological functions in the gut and acting as a neurotransmitter for the brain, spinal cord, and uterus. Discovered in 19 ...

, is mixed with the blood, preventing clotting until it is ingested by the fly. These bites cause localized tissue damage, and if the number of feeding flies is sufficient, their feeding may produce a blood-loss

anaemia Anemia (also spelt anaemia in British English) is a blood disorder in which the blood has a reduced ability to carry oxygen. This can be due to a lower than normal number of red blood cells, a reduction in the amount of hemoglobin availab ...

. The host's reaction to fly attacks may include systemic illness, allergic reactions or even death, presumably mediated by histamine. In humans, this systemic reaction is known as "black fly fever" and is characterized by headaches, fever, nausea, adenitis, generalized dermatitis, and allergic asthma.

Systematics

Subgenera: * '' Afrosimulium'' Crosskey, 1969 * '' Anasolen'' Enderlein, 1930 * '' Asiosimulium'' Takaoka & Choochote, 2005 * '' Aspathia'' Enderlein, 1935 * '' Boophthora'' Enderlein, 1921 * '' Boreosimulium'' Rubtsov & Yankovsky, 1982 * '' Byssodon'' Enderlein, 1925 * '' Chirostilbia'' Enderlein, 1921 * '' Crosskeyellum'' Grenier & Bailly-Choumara, 1970 * '' Daviesellum'' Takaoka & Adler, 1997 * '' Ectemnaspis'' Enderlein, 1934 * '' Edwardsellum'' Enderlein, 1921 * '' Eusimulium'' Roubaud, 1906 * '' Freemanellum'' Crosskey, 1969 * '' Gomphostilbia'' Enderlein, 1921 * '' Hebridosimulium'' Grenier & Rageau, 1961 * '' Hellichiella'' Rivosecchi & Cardinali, 1975 * '' Hemicnetha'' Enderlein, 1934 * '' Inaequalium'' Coscarón & Wygodzinsky, 1984 * '' Inseliellum'' Rubtsov, 1974 * '' Lewisellum'' Crosskey, 1969 * '' Meilloniellum'' Rubtsov, 1962 * '' Metomphalus'' Enderlein, 1935 * '' Montisimulium'' Rubtsov, 1974 * '' Morops'' Enderlein, 1930 * '' Nevermannia'' Enderlein, 1921 * '' Notolepria'' Enderlein, 1930 * '' Obuchovia'' Rubtsov, 1947 * '' Phoretomyia'' Crosskey, 1969 * '' Pomeroyellum'' Rubtsov, 1962 * '' Psaroniocompsa'' Enderlein, 1934 * '' Psilopelmia'' Enderlein, 1934 * '' Psilozia'' Enderlein, 1936 * '' Pternaspatha'' Enderlein, 1930 * '' Rubzovia'' Petrova, 1983 * '' Schoenbaueria'' Enderlein, 1921 * ''

Simulium ''Simulium'' is a genus of Black_fly, black flies, which may transmit diseases such as onchocerciasis (river blindness). It is a large genus with almost 2,000 species and 38 subgenus, subgenera. The flies are pool feeders. Their saliva, wh ...

'' Latreille, 1802 * '' Trichodagmia'' Enderlein, 1934 * '' Wallacellum'' Takaoka, 1983 * '' Wilhelmia'' Enderlein, 1921 * '' Xenosimulium'' Crosskey, 1969 Species: * List of ''Simulium'' species

In Balkan folklore

Serbian mythology Serbian folklore is the folk traditions among ethnic Serbs. The earliest examples of Serbian folklore are seen in the pre-Christian Slavic customs transformed into Christianity. Roots and characteristics Folklore The Apostles of the Slavs, Cyr ...

there is a legend concerning an

ala (demon) An ala or hala (plural: ''ale'' or ''hali'') is a female mythological creature recorded in the folklore of Bulgarians, Macedonians (ethnic group), Macedonians, and Serbs. Ale are considered demons of bad weather whose main purpose is to lead Hai ...

(a female entity associated with

hailstorms Hail is a form of solid Precipitation (meteorology), precipitation. It is distinct from ice pellets (American English "sleet"), though the two are often confused. It consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice, each of which is called a hailsto ...

, madness and disease) fabled to have died in a cave near the town of

Golubac Golubac ( sr-Cyrl, Голубац, ; ) is a village and municipality located in the Braničevo District of eastern Serbia. Situated on the right side of the Danube river, it is bordered by Romania to the east, Veliko Gradište to the west and ...

in the Pozarevac District in Eastern Serbia. The rotting corpse of this being is said to send forth each Spring a swarm of Golubatz flies – individuals of the species ''

Simulium colombaschense ''Simulium'' is a genus of black flies, which may transmit diseases such as onchocerciasis (river blindness). It is a large genus with almost 2,000 species and 38 subgenera. The flies are pool feeders. Their saliva, which contains anticoa ...

''. The fact that the Golubatz fly is a voracious bloodsucker and disease

vector Vector most often refers to: * Euclidean vector, a quantity with a magnitude and a direction * Disease vector, an agent that carries and transmits an infectious pathogen into another living organism Vector may also refer to: Mathematics a ...

accords well with the functions attributed to the ala, emphasising her malign potency – even in death – while the legend provides, reciprocally, a folkloric explanation for the genesis of so unpleasant an insect. The specific name ''colombaschense'' signifies 'of Golubac' (Serbian pronunciation: 'Golubatz') – the name of the village (signifying ''

dovecote A dovecote or dovecot , doocot (Scots Language, Scots) or columbarium is a structure intended to house Domestic pigeon, pigeons or doves. Dovecotes may be free-standing structures in a variety of shapes, or built into the end of a house or b ...

'' from Slavic ''golub'' a dove/pigeon (see

Columbidae Columbidae is a bird Family (biology), family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the Order (biology), order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with small heads, relatively short necks and slender bills that in ...

), cognate with , having the same meaning). ''S. colombaschense'' was a notorious insect pest of the

Banat Banat ( , ; ; ; ) is a geographical and Historical regions of Central Europe, historical region located in the Pannonian Basin that straddles Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe. It is divided among three countries: the eastern part lie ...

(part of the

Pannonian Basin The Pannonian Basin, with the term Carpathian Basin being sometimes preferred in Hungarian literature, is a large sedimentary basin situated in southeastern Central Europe. After the Treaty of Trianon following World War I, the geomorpholog ...

, bordered to the south by the

Danube The Danube ( ; see also #Names and etymology, other names) is the List of rivers of Europe#Longest rivers, second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga in Russia. It flows through Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black Forest sou ...

), during the 18th century.Thompson, F. Christian (March 2001). "The Name of the Type Species of Simulium (Diptera: Simuliidae): an historical footnote". Entomological News 112 (2): 125. Retrieved 2011-04-08.

References

Bibliography

* Crosskey R. W.; ''The natural history of blackflies.'' Willey, New York, 1990. * Honomichl K.; Bellmann, H.; ''Biologie und Ökologie der Insekten.'' CD-Rom. Gustav Fischer, Stuttgart, 1994. * Jedlicka, L.; Stloukalova V.; ''Family Simuliidae.'' pp. 331–347 in: Papp, L. and Darvas, B. (eds.): ''Contributions to a Manual of Palaearctic Diptera'', Volume 2. Science Herald, Budapest, 1997. * Jensen, F.; Diptera Simuliidae, Blackflies. pp. 209–241 in: Nilsson, A.N. (ed.): ''Aquatic Insects of North Europe. A Taxonomic Handbook''. Apollo Books, Stenstrup, 1997. * Kim, K. C.; Merritt, R. W. (Eds.); ''Black flies, ecology, population management, and annotat. world list.'' University Park, London, 1987. * Laird, M. (Ed.); ''Blackflies.'' Academic Press, London, 1981. * Lechthaler, W.; Car, M.; ''Simuliidae − Key to Larvae and Pupae from Central− and Western Europe''. Vienna 2005, * Seitz, G.; ''Verbreitung und Ökologie der Kriebelmücken (Diptera: Simuliidae) in Niederbayern.'' in: ''Lauterbornia.'' Mauch, Dinkelscherben 11.1992, pp. 1–230. * Timm, T.; ''Dormanzformen bei Kriebelmücken unter besonderer Berücksichtigung des Ei-Stadiums (Diptera: Simuliidae).'' in: ''Entomologia generalis.'' Schweizerbart, Stuttgart 12.1987, 133-142. * Timm, T.; ''Unterschiede in Habitatselektion und Eibiologie bei sympatrischen Kriebelmückenarten (Diptera, Simuliidae).'' in: ''Mitteilungen der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Allgemeine und Angewandte Entomologie.'' Bremen 6.1988, 156-158. * Timm, T.; Rühm, W. (Hrsg.); ''Beiträge zur Taxonomie, Faunistik und Ökologie der Kriebelmücken in Mitteleuropa.'' Essener Ökologische Schriften. Bd.2. Westarp Wissenschaften, Magdeburg 1993. * Wichard, W.; Arens, W.; Eisenbeis, G.; ''Atlas zur Biologie der Wasserinsekten.'' Stuttgart, 1994. * Wirtz, H. P.; ''Analyse der Histaminanteile im Speichel verschiedener Kriebelmückenarten (Diptera: Simuliidae).'' in: ''Mitteilungen der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Allgemeine und Angewandte Entomologie.'' Bremen 6.1988, 441-442. Insect vectors of human pathogens Culicomorpha genera Taxa named by Pierre André Latreille Mythological insects {{Chironomoidea-stub