NEW RECORDS OF CERATOPOGONIDAE (DIPTERA) FROM SOUTH CAROLINA, U.S.A. 1

3 ABSTRACT: Three species of biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) previously unknown from South Carolina were collected with UV-lighted and lightless miniature CDC light traps baited with CO2 during 2006 and 2007 in Barnwell County. We provide details of the microhabitats and biology for these species: Forcipomyia (Euprojoannisia) unica Bystrak and Wirth, Forcipomyia (Metaforci- pomyia) fehrerorum Grogan and Sigrist, and Culicoides (Haematomyidium) torreyae Wirth and Blanton. Records of biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) from South Carolina are sparse compared with those of other southeastern Atlantic states. None of the 602 species currently known in the United States and Canada have type localities in South Carolina (Borkent and Grogan 2008). In contrast, 62 species have their type localities in Florida, 4 species in Georgia, 52 species in Maryland and the District of Columbia, 1 species in North Carolina, and 21 species in Virginia. Culicoides is the largest genus of biting midges in the world, with 152 species in North America, most of which take blood meals from vertebrates and, therefore, are of medical and veterinary importance. Battle and Turner (1971) listed 19 species of Culicoides from South Carolina: 17 species were recorded from Beau- fort, Charleston, Colleton, and Jasper counties in the southeastern part of the state, whereas only 3 species were reported outside this region. Records for other ceratopogonid genera in South Carolina are scattered and less complete than those for Culicoides. We report here the first records of three species of Cera- topogonidae from South Carolina. Specimens were collected during a survey of the vertical distribution of biting flies in Barnwell County, South Carolina, near the town of Williston (33.3668oN 81.4060oW, 90 m) from 20 August - 7 October 2006 and 10 March - 1 Septem- ber 2007. The site was in a managed loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) forest along a series of stream-fed beaver ponds. Collections were made using miniature CDC light traps, with no light or ultraviolet light and baited with CO2. Biting midges were slide mounted in phenol-balsam in the manner described by Wirth and Marston (1968), and voucher specimens were deposited in the Clemson Univer- sity Arthropod Collection and the synoptic collection of ceratopogonids main- tained by WLG at Salisbury University, Salisbury, Maryland.