Franklin S. Blanton

North America Culicoides of the Pulicaris Group (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

The 15 North American species of Culicoides of the Pulicaris Group are reviewed, of which 9 are described as new: canadensis, freeborni, frohnei, gregsoni, lahontan, montanus, neofagineus, sierrensis, and sommermanae. A key is presented for the identification of females, and information on the distribution, larval habitat, and biting habits is summarized. Three species are of some importance as pests, C. tristriatulus on Alaskan coastal tide flats, and C. canadensis and C. yukonensis in inland parts of Alaska and portions of Canada.

A Revision of the Neotropical Biting Midges of the Hylas Group of Culicoides (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae)

The seven Neotropical species of Culicoides related to hylas Macfie are revised, and a group diagnosis, a key to the species, descriptions of three new species, xanifer, polypori, and aitkeni, are included. The known species of this group breed in water-holding plants or in rotting parts or fruits of plants.

New Species and Synonymy of Florida Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

Two new species of biting midges are described from Florida; Culicoides husseyi and C. torreyae. Culicoides khalafi Beck is a junior synonym of C. debilipalpis Lutz (new synonymy).

Notes on Brachypogon Kieffer (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae), A New Species, and Two New Neotropical Genera of the Tribe Ceratopogonini

Two new genera are described in the Ceratopogonini: Baeohelea, type-species nana n. sp. from Columbia and Dominica, and Rhynchohjelea, type-species monilicornis n. sp. from California and Florida. Two species are transferred to Baeohelea: (new combinations) Ceratopogon bourioni Clastrier 1961 and C. fuscipennis Tokunaga 1964. Brachypogon is restored to generic rank and characterized, and in it are included (newcombinations): Ceratopogon africanus de Meillon 1929, C. bergensis de Meillon and Hardy 1953, C. corius de Meillon and Hardy 1954, Palpomyia fuscivenosa Lutz 1914, Ceratopogon impar Johannsen 1938, C. insulicola Tokunaga 1959, C. novaguineae Tokunaga 1964, C. papuensis Tokunaga 1964, C. petersi Tokunaga 1964, C. sensegalensis de Meillon and Wirth, 1955, C. sitius de Meillon 1959, and C. vitiosus Winnertz 1852. Brachypogon fuscivenosus Lutz is redescribed and B. paraensis n. sp. is described from Brazil.

New Species of Neotropical Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

The following new species of neotropical Culicoides are described: C. atelis from Panama, collected into a trap baited with a spider monkey; C. cuiabai from Brazil, collected from the Rio Paraguay drainage of the state of Mato Grosso; and C. flinti from Argentina, collected in Entre Rios Province. The last species occurs near the southern limit of Culicoides distribution in temperate South America.

New Genera of Neotropical Ceratopogonidae (Diptera)

Three new genera of Neotropical Ceratopogonidae are described: Fittkauhelea, type-species F. amazonica, n. sp. from Brazil, related to Parabezzia Malloch; Parastilobezzia, type-species P. leei, n. sp. from Columbia, related to Stilobezzia Kieffer; and Leptohelea, type-species L. micronyx, n. sp. from Colombia, related to Ceratopogon Meigen.

A New Florida Sand Fly Closely Related to Culicoides Haematopotus Malloch (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

Culicoides edeni n. sp. is described from peninsular Florida. Characters are given to separate it from Culicoides haematopotus Malloch, a closely related, widespread, North American species that also occurs in northern Florida.

A New Culicoides Species from Guyana (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

Culicoides daviesi n. sp. Wirth and Blanton is described and illustrated. This new neotropical species is a vicious pest in the Rupununi Savannah of Guyana. It is an unusual species with no known close relatives in the neotropical area.

New Synonymy and a Correction in the Culicoides Piliferus Group (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

Culicoides pseudopiliferus Wirth and Hubert is synonymized with C. alexanderi Wirth and Hubert because of misidentification of the type specimens of the former. The species whose female was described as pseudopiliferus is described and figured as parapiliferus new species with types from Long Island, New York. A redescription and figures are also given for alexanderi.

A New Patagonian Biting Midge of the Genus Monohelea, Isthmohelea (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

The genus Isthmohelea Ingram and Macfie is reduced to a subgenus of Monohelea Kieffer, with type-species Monohelea disjuncta (Ingram and Macfie) (NEW COMBINATION) from Chile. The second known species, M. shannoni NEW SPECIES is described from Patagonia.