Habitat Anthropization and Seasonality Affect the Assemblage and Diversity of Culicoides in Central Veracruz, Mexico.

The anthropogenic alteration of natural ecosystems is one of the main causes of the increase in the number of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. Vector-borne diseases are particularly sensitive to environmental and seasonal effects, as these factors profoundly influence the biology and ecology of the vectors. The genus Culicoides Latreille, 1809, comprises blood-sucking dipterans distributed world-wide with an important role in the transmission of pathogens such as Oropuche, Bluetongue, African horse sickness viruses, as well as avian blood parasites. In this study, we carried out the first study in Mexico that addresses anthropogenic changes in natural habitats and seasonality in the diversity of the assemblage Culicoides. We collected 1,599 biting midges of 13 species and found that biting midges abundance, richness, Shannon diversity, and species composition were more affected by anthropogenic alteration of natural habitats than by seasonality. Particularly in natural habitats, the abundance is higher. However, agricultural habitats may increase species abundance and biting midges richness. Nevertheless, the creation of human settlements tends to reduce them. On the other hand, we found that the warm season reduces Culicoides diversity and that the cold season can favor its abundance and richness. Additionally, we found that species composition was affected by both habitats and seasonality, with observed dissimilarity between assemblages being due more to a nestedness phenomenon than to species turnover. Finally, we report two species that are new records for Veracruz, Mexico. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]