125771 20251113150203.0 doi 10.1017/S0007485323000068 sideral 133247 ART-2023-133247 eng Barceló, C. The use of path analysis to determine effects of environmental factors on the adult seasonality of Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) vector species in Spain 2023 Access copy available to the general public Unrestricted Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are the main vectors of livestock diseases such as bluetongue (BT) which mainly affect sheep and cattle. In Spain, bluetongue virus (BTV) is transmitted by several Culicoides taxa, including Culicoides imicola, Obsoletus complex, Culicoides newsteadi and Culicoides pulicaris that vary in seasonality and distribution, affecting the distribution and dynamics of BT outbreaks. Path analysis is useful for separating direct and indirect, biotic and abiotic determinants of species' population performance and is ideal for understanding the sensitivity of adult Culicoides dynamics to multiple environmental drivers. Start, end of season and length of overwintering of adult Culicoides were analysed across 329 sites in Spain sampled from 2005 to 2010 during the National Entomosurveillance Program for BTV with path analysis, to determine the direct and indirect effects of land use, climate and host factor variables. Culicoides taxa had species-specific responses to environmental variables. While the seasonality of adult C. imicola was strongly affected by topography, temperature, cover of agro-forestry and sclerophyllous vegetation, rainfall, livestock density, photoperiod in autumn and the abundance of Culicoides females, Obsoletus complex species seasonality was affected by land-use variables such as cover of natural grassland and broad-leaved forest. Culicoides female abundance was the most explanatory variable for the seasonality of C. newsteadi, while C. pulicaris showed that temperature during winter and the photoperiod in November had a strong effect on the start of the season and the length of overwinter period of this species. These results indicate that the seasonal vector-free period (SVFP) in Spain will vary between competent vector taxa and geographic locations, dependent on the different responses of each taxa to environmental conditions. info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EC/FP7/261504/EU/Surveillance and control of vector-borne infections/EDENEXT info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess by https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.es 1.6 2023 ENTOMOLOGY 36 / 109 = 0.33 2023 Q2 T2 0.489 2023 Agronomy and Crop Science 2023 Q2 Insect Science 2023 Q2 Medicine (miscellaneous) 2023 Q3 4.0 2023 info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion Searle, K. R. Estrada, R. Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0000-0002-6279-0453 Lucientes, J. Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0000-0003-0663-8411 Miranda, M. Á. Purse, B. V. 1009 773 Universidad de Zaragoza Dpto. Patología Animal Área Sanidad Animal 1009 X Universidad de Zaragoza Dpto. Patología Animal Proy. investigación HRA 113, 3 (2023), 402–411 Bull. entomol. res. BULLETIN OF ENTOMOLOGICAL RESEARCH 0007-4853 323469 http://zaguan.unizar.es/record/125771/files/texto_completo.pdf Versión publicada 3204458 http://zaguan.unizar.es/record/125771/files/texto_completo.jpg?subformat=icon icon Versión publicada oai:zaguan.unizar.es:125771 articulos driver 2025-11-13-15:00:43 ARTICLE