Culicoides Temporal range:
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Culicoides sonorensis after blood meal | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Diptera |
Family: | Ceratopogonidae |
Subfamily: | Ceratopogoninae |
Tribe: | Culicoidini |
Genus: | Culicoides Latreille, 1809 |
Subgenera | |
Numerous, see text |
Culicoides is a genus of biting midges in the family Ceratopogonidae. There are over 1000 species in the genus,[1][2] which is divided into many subgenera. Several species are known to be vectors of various diseases and parasites which can affect animals. The genus has a long fossil record, with earliest known fossils being from Burmese amber, around 99 million years old.[3]