Vertical stratification of Culicoides biting midges at a Florida big game preserve

Background Many important vector arthropods are known to stratify vertically in forest environments, a phenomenon which has important implications for vector-borne disease transmission and vector control. Culicoides Latreille biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) have been documented using the forest canopy; however, studies of this phenomenon are lacking for many Culicoides species found in great abundance in the state of Florida, USA, some of which have been implicated as suspected vectors of hemorrhagic diseases of white-tailed deer. The present study aimed to determine whether common Culicoides species in Florida stratify vertically and to determine whether strata used by midges corresponded to host use.