1Dept of Parasitology, Veterinary College, KVAFSU, Hebbal, Bangalore-560024
2National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Insects, Hebbal, Bangalore-560024
Centre of Advanced Faculty Training, Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Veterinary College, Karnataka Veterinary Animal and Fisheries Science University, Hebbal, Bangalore-560024, India
*Corresponding author email: archuvet610@gmail.com
Online published on 18 December, 2018.
Culicoides, a biting midge, is one of the important human and animal pests with great economic significance as vectors of animal diseases and for various viruses, protozoa and filarid worms. The identification of Culicoides is done by various morphological features but is tedious, confusing and time-consuming because its size ranges from 1.5 to 3 mm. Therefore, molecular method of identification is being advocated for identification. An ITS1 rDNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based diagnostic assay was developed for rapid, reliable and exact identification of Culicoides spp. DNA was amplified (316–500 bp) from the ITS1 region of eight species of Culicoides namely C. imicola, C. oxystoma, C. peregrinus, C. actoni, C. anophelis, C. palpifer, C. innoxius and C. circumscriptus by PCR assay. Species specific PCR of two dominant species C. imicola and C. oxystoma yielded an amplified fragment of approximately 303 bp and 300bp respectively, thereby confirming genus Culicoides and species specific identification of C. imicola and C. oxystoma.
Culicoides, biting midge, ITS1 region, PCR
