Description
Data Records
The data in this sampling event resource has been published as a Darwin Core Archive (DwC-A), which is a standardized format for sharing biodiversity data as a set of one or more data tables. The core data table contains 14,895 records.
2 extension data tables also exist. An extension record supplies extra information about a core record. The number of records in each extension data table is illustrated below.
This IPT archives the data and thus serves as the data repository. The data and resource metadata are available for download in the downloads section. The versions table lists other versions of the resource that have been made publicly available and allows tracking changes made to the resource over time.
Versions
The table below shows only published versions of the resource that are publicly accessible.
How to cite
Researchers should cite this work as follows:
Balenghien T, Garros C, Delécolle J, Setier-Rio M, Mathieu B, Delécolle D, Akaddar A, Allène X, Rakotoarivony I, Lhoir J, Scheid B, Venail R, Chavernac D, Baldet T, Hammami P (2025). A spatio-temporal Culicoides species dataset produced by the French surveillance program from 2009 to 2012. Version 1.1. GBIF Secretariat. Samplingevent dataset. https://ipt.gbif.org/resource?r=fr_culicoides_2009_2012&v=1.1
Rights
Researchers should respect the following rights statement:
The publisher and rights holder of this work is Cirad - UMR ASTRE. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC-BY-NC 4.0) License.
GBIF Registration
This resource has been registered with GBIF, and assigned the following GBIF UUID: a50323a7-2973-4042-9369-407f0b5efb19. Cirad - UMR ASTRE publishes this resource, and is itself registered in GBIF as a data publisher endorsed by GBIF France.
Keywords
Samplingevent; Culicoides; monitoring; insect vector; entomology; Observation
Contacts
- Metadata Provider ●
- Originator ●
- Point Of Contact
- Researcher/Entomologist
https://orcid.org/0009-0008-4495-4814
- Metadata Provider ●
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- Head of Laboratory and Experimentation
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- Entomological technician
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- Digital education engineer
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- Metadata Provider ●
- Originator ●
- Point Of Contact
- Researcher/Epidemiologist
Geographic Coverage
The sampling was conducted across the entirety of mainland France (Corsica Island included), with one or two traps concurrently deployed in each department. Variations in site locations from year to year resulted in up to five sites per department over the four-year trapping period.
| Bounding Coordinates | South West [41.5, -4.5], North East [50.8, 9.5] |
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Taxonomic Coverage
Over 6,340,177 Culicoides individuals were collected. Specimens were identified down to species level, sexed, and categorized by gonotrophic (parous/nulliparous) and physiological (engorged) status. 82 different species were identified with more than 66% of the specimens belonging to the C. obsoletus/C. scoticus complex.
| Kingdom | animalia |
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| Phylum | Arthropoda |
| Class | Insecta |
| Order | Diptera |
| Family | Ceratopogonidae |
Temporal Coverage
| Start Date / End Date | 2019-03-02 / 2012-12-27 |
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Project Data
No Description available
| Title | French Culicoides Monitoring Network 2009-2012 |
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| Funding | French Ministry of Agriculture and Food |
| Study Area Description | Mainland France - national coverage |
The personnel involved in the project:
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Sampling Methods
The monitoring program targeted farms housing cattle, sheep, goat or mixed. The traps were positioned outside stables or near animal resting areas and operated from at least one hour before dusk to one hour after dawn, with the exact geographical coordinates of each farm recorded by the operator. The traps used were black light suction traps (Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute design). Insects attracted to the light were collected using a fan that directed them into a beaker containing soapy water. The soap ensured the insects sank and prevented them from drying out. Once collected, the specimens were transferred into 70% ethanol at room temperature for preservation and transported to identification centers. The samples were processed at three specialized sorting centers: Cirad (Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement) and EID Med (Entente interdépartementale pour la démoustication du littoral méditerranéen) in Montpellier, and IPPTS (Institut de parasitologie et de pathologie tropicale) in Strasbourg. Expert entomologists performed species identification using morphological keys and the IIKC database. For specimens belonging to the C. obsoletus/C. scoticus complex, females were grouped together due to morphological indistinguishability. Damaged or incomplete specimens were excluded. In cases of excessively large samples, subsampling was performed to streamline the identification process, following a modified protocol outlined in Van Ark and Meiswinkel (1992). Specifically, if the total insect volume exceeded 3 mL, a subsample was taken, offering significant time savings. After subsampling, a preliminary sorting step was conducted under a stereomicroscope to isolate Culicoides from other insect species based on morphological traits, including body shape, antennal segment count, and wing patterns. Non-Culicoides specimens were not identified. Morphological identification was conducted following the morphological atlas from Delécolle (1985) updated when necessary with new species description by experts. Identification was conducted to the species level or, when differentiation was not possible, to the complex level. In total, 14,895 collections were performed under the supervision of the Directions départementales de la cohésion sociale et de la protection des populations (DDecPP), and 6,340,177 Culicoides individuals were identified by the expert entomologists.
| Study Extent | Between 2009 and 2012, Culicoides population monitoring in mainland France was conducted by national authorities and research groups in compliance with European requirements. The program deployed 160 traps in farms housing cattle, sheep, goats or mixed, with one or two traps allocated per department. The sampling schedule varied by season. From mid-February to April and November to mid-December, traps were operated one night per week, whereas a monthly schedule was adopted for the rest of the year (in January, and between May and October). |
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Method step description:
- The data collected at the time of sampling (events data) and at the time of identification (occurences data) were entered into the CIRAD Ocapi database (http://ocapi.cirad.fr/), and shared with the actors of the network (veterinary services: DDcsPP, and ministry of agriculture: DGAl). This database comprises three tables: farms, sampling events and entomological identification. Most of the environmental data were retrieved a posteriori using GIS approaches from various sources such as ERA-5 land or MODIS. The data were restructured using R software to meet GBIF publication criteria.
Collection Data
| Collection Name | French Culicoides midge collection from 2009 to 2012 |
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| Specimen preservation methods | Alcohol |
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Bibliographic Citations
- Van Ark H, Meiswinkel R. Subsampling of large light trap catches of Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). Onderstepoort J Vet Res. 1992 Sep;59(3):183-9. PMID: 1437020.
- Delécolle J.-C. Nouvelle contribution à l’étude systématique et iconographique des espèces du genre Culicoides, (Diptera) : (Cératopogonidae) du Nord-Est de la France. 1985
Additional Metadata
| Acknowledgements | The authors thank the French Ministry of Agriculture and Food for funding this collection and providing the data, and the Directions Départementales de la Protection des Populations for implementing this collection network. |
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| Introduction | Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are small hematophagous insects recognized as vectors of numerous pathogens, including bluetongue virus (BTV), Schmallenberg virus, epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV), and Oropouche virus. Several of these pathogens pose significant threats to livestock health and agricultural economies. In the 2000s, the epidemiological importance of Culicoides vectors has driven extensive surveillance efforts to monitor their distribution, seasonal dynamics, and potential role in disease transmission. The epidemiological landscape of France shifted in 2000 with the first incursion of BTV serotype 2 (BTV-2) in Corsica. In response, in 2002, the French Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries mandated CIRAD (Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement) to coordinate a national entomological monitoring program for Culicoides biting midges. Initially focused on monitoring Culicoides imicola, a known BTV vector in Corsica, the program later expanded to include sentinel traps across high-risk regions of mainland France. The surveillance network intensified following the emergence of BTV serotypes 8 and 1 between 2006 and 2009, leading to widespread outbreaks that severely impacted European livestock. In parallel, the European Commission regulation 2007/1266/EC12 mandated comprehensive monitoring to track the spread of bluetongue and its vectors. From 2009 to 2012, Culicoides populations were monitored, in accordance with European requirements, using 160 traps spread across mainland France, with one or two traps per department. Trapping was carried out once a week in spring and autumn and once a month for the rest of the year. By 2012, the comprehensive monitoring efforts, combined with vaccination campaigns and movement restrictions, successfully controlled BTV transmission, allowing France to regain its bluetongue free status. The national surveillance program, which had deployed 160 sentinel traps across diverse ecoclimatic regions, was discontinued. However, the extensive data collected during this period has enabled Culicoides ecology to be studied at an unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution. This dataset originates from the entomological surveillance network and consists of three interconnected datasets documenting sampling events, Culicoides occurrences, and associated environmental conditions. The dataset enables researchers to analyze species distribution, population dynamics, and ecological drivers of Culicoides activity. It has already contributed to vector ecology studies and can further support descriptive and predictive modeling of vector-borne disease risk under changing climatic conditions. By integrating data on species composition, phenology, and environmental parameters, this dataset serves as a valuable resource for entomologists, epidemiologists, and policymakers involved in vector surveillance and disease prevention strategies. |
| Getting Started | This dataset consists of three interrelated data files that comprehensively describe the sampling campaigns, species occurrence, and associated environmental conditions. These datasets provide a detailed framework for understanding the spatio-temporal distribution of Culicoides sp. in mainland France and Corsica between 2009 and 2012.
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| Purpose | Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are vectors of pathogens of veterinary and public health concerns, including the bluetongue virus (BTV), Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease Virus (EHDV) and Oropouche virus. In response to the first incursions and rapid spread of BTV-8 in non-Mediterranean Europe starting 2006, a national entomological surveillance program was implemented from 2009 to 2012 in France to support livestock movement policies and European trade requirements. The program monitored Culicoides phenology, abundance and seasonality across 210 farms in mainland France and Corsica, simultaneously deploying one to two traps per department (French NUTS3). Sampling frequency was adapted to midge population dynamics, with weekly trapping during periods of population increase and decrease, and monthly trapping during periods of intense activity and of inactivity. Midges were identified down to species level, sexed, and categorized by physiological status (parous/nulliparous). This longitudinal dataset provides an unprecedented spatio-temporal overview of Culicoides activity at a national scale, offering critical insights into vector ecology to feed modeling works and inform future surveillance and control strategies. |
| Alternative Identifiers | https://ipt.gbif.fr/resource?r=cirad_astre_culicoides |