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Query: UMLS:C0016632 (Fox)
 1,461 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Biting midges of the genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) include vectors for the economically important animal diseases, bluetongue (BT) and African horse sickness (AHS). In the Mediterranean Basin, these diseases are transmitted by four species of Culicoides: the first three belong in the subgenus Avaritia Fox and are Culicoides imicola Kieffer, Culicoides obsoletus (Meigen) and Culicoides scoticus Downes and Kettle; the fourth is Culicoides pulicaris (Linnaeus) in the subgenus Culicoides Latreille. In the Palaearctic Region, this subgenus (usually referred to as the C. pulicaris group) now includes a loose miscellany of some 50 taxa. The lack of clarity surrounding its taxonomy stimulated the present morphological and molecular study of 11 species collected in Italy. Phylogenetic analysis of nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) sequence variation demonstrated a high degree of divergence. These results, combined with those from a parallel morphological study, disclosed: (1) that some previously described taxa should be resurrected from synonymy; (2) that there are new species to be described; (3) that the subgenus Culicoides (as currently employed) is a polyphyletic assemblage of four lineages - the subgenus Culicoides sensu stricto, the subgenus Silvicola Mirzaeva and Isaev, the subgenus Hoffmania Fox and the hitherto unrecognized Fagineus species complex. Each is discussed briefly (but not defined) and its constituent Palaearctic taxa listed. Strong congruence between morphological and molecular data holds promise for resolving many of the difficult taxonomic issues plaguing the accurate identification of vector Culicoides around the world.
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PMID:Phylogeny of the subgenus Culicoides and related species in Italy, inferred from internal transcribed spacer 2 ribosomal DNA sequences. 1679 16

The viruses causing the economically important livestock diseases of African horse sickness (AHS) and bluetongue (BT) are transmitted by biting midges of the genus Culicoides (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae). In the Old World the most important vectors of these diseases are Culicoides imicola Kieffer, 1913, Culicoides brevitarsis Kieffer, 1917 and Culicoides bolitinos Meiswinkel, 1989. All three of these vectors belong to the Imicola complex of the subgenus Avaritia Fox, 1955. This species complex now comprises 12 sibling species; ten occur in sub-Saharan Africa and are difficult to identify (based mostly on subtle variations in the wing latterns) and so additional methods of reliable identification are needed. The pupal exuviae of the five commonest sibling species (C. imicola, C. bolitinos, Culicoides loxodontis Meiswinkel, 1992, Culicoides tuttifrutti Meiswinkel, Cornet & Dyce, 2003 and Culicoides sp. # 107) harvested from a variety of large herbivore dung types and from decaying fruits, are described and illustrated in detail. It is shown that they can be differentiated clearly on a number of morphological characters and, furthermore, are separable into two distinct groups based (principally) on the shape of the respiratory organ. A key for identifying and differentiating these five pupae is provided. Also, the pupa of the Oriental-Australasian C. brevitarsis was compared with its allopatric sister taxon, C. bolitinos. Because they share a common larval habitat (cattle and buffalo dung) and are almost inseparable in the adult phenotype, the question of their possible synonymy is raised. However, their respective pupae could not be differentiated on gross morphology and so it is argued that this unresolved problem requires a molecular solution.
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PMID:Comparative descriptions of the pupae of five species of the Culicoides imicola complex (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae) from South Africa. 1788 97

Thirty-six subgenera comprise the biting midge genus Culicoides Latreille, 1809. One of these, the relatively small subgenus Avaritia Fox, 1955, is the most important as it contains nearly half of the 30 world species of Culicoides known to play a greater or lesser role in the transmission of orbiviral diseases to livestock pantropically. These diseases include bluetongue (BT), African horse sickness (AHS) and epizootic haemorrhagic disease of deer (EHD). The subgenus Avaritia is distributed globally and the 70 species described have been subdivided into seven species groups and four subgroups. These 11 informal categories, variously labelled as either 'subgroups', 'groups' or 'complexes', are reduced here to seven in number (six species complexes and one subgroup) and although they appear natural, they are nearly all poorly defined. In this study two of these, namely the Imicola and Orientalis species complexes, are re-evaluated to determine which morphological characters define them more precisely, and so may help to establish their monophyly in the future. The two complexes are separable on eight discrete adult characters (two in the female, six in the male); these characters, and three secondary ones, are discussed and illustrated. The Imicola and Orientalis Complexes together embrace 23 species; these species are assigned to their respective complexes and according to recent nomenclatural adjustments. The taxonomy of vector Culicoides worldwide remains superficial; to improve the situation it is recommended that the 'traditional' morphological method be integrated with the 'modern' molecular approach.
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PMID:Adult characters defining and separating the Imicola and Orientalis species complexes of the subgenus Avaritia Fox, 1955 (Culicoides, Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). 2041 91