Greetings to you all. The year of 1999 is off to a great pace, and is nearly halfway over. I have recently returned from the joint North American Dipterists' Society - Biting Fly Workshop held at Camp Broadstone in Valle Crucis, near Boone, North Carolina and in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, near Gatlinburg, Tennessee (USA). It is always stimulating to meet fellow scientists from the USA, Canada, Europe, etc., at these meetings.

    It is with deep regret that we note the passing of Dr. Masaaki Tokunaga died of old age of 95 years on August 4, 1998.  See the note from Dr. Shigeo Kitaoka on Dr. Tokunaga life and work.

    We applaud the efforts of Brian Weigmann, Chris Thompson, Monty Wood, Dick Vockeroth, Bill Grogan and the many other participants in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, All Taxon Biotic Inventory -- GSMNP ATBI. The importance of an accurate survey of the fauna of the earth is quite obvious to us as biologists and as people who appreciate the interrelatedness of all organisms. Without doubt, we are losing species across the globe, and in fact the numbers of species lost will probably never be known. But with the efforts of these scientists, more of these species can be cataloged for future studies of the abundance and distribution of species.

    Thanks to the cooperation of many folks, the CIE is now on the WWW and available from any site connected to the Web. The URL for the Ceratopogonidae site is:

                        http://www2.gasou.edu/facstaff/hagan/cie.html

    We have opted to continue to send paper copy as well as providing Web availability. If there are other things (e.g., bibliographies by years, more photos of earlier workers, etc.) that you might wish to have on the CIE site, let me know. Also on the Ceratopogonidae Web site, there is maintained a listing of the mailing list of the CIE and or all ceratopogonid workers worldwide. I also include the e-mail address, voice and fax phone numbers. This is maintained as a service, if you would like to update your listing, please send me an e-mail, fax or letter.

                                                                                 Best regards to all and Thanks,

                                                                                 Daniel V. Hagan, Ph.D.
Summary of CIE Contents:
Contributions from Cerat. Scientists ............................ 5
Recent Literature on Ceratopogonidae ...................... 12

For all CIE Participants, please send your e-mail address to dhagan@GaSoU.edu.

    The Diptera Collecting Field Day in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, ALL TAXON BIOTIC INVENTORY) -- GSMNP ATBI seemed to have gotten off to a great start at the end of the NADS meeting, May 27-30, 1999.

    NADS participants began a group collecting effort on behalf of the GSMNP ATBI project. The event (over the long haul, a ten year project) kicked off the ATBI project by organizing a group collecting and identification workshop. The "field day" drew attention to the ATBI and to the role of dipterists and other taxonomic specialists in fulfilling the projects goals. The dipterists were the first group to conduct a taxon oriented "field day." Organizers of the GSMNP ATBI were excited about the participation of NADS in the initial kickoff of the inventory.

    Collecting permits are required to participate in the GSMNP- ATBI. For updates on the status of the ATBI contact:
    Dr. Brian M. Wiegmann, Department of Entomology, Box 7613, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695
    e-mail: bwiegman@unity.ncsu.edu

    Work still continues, albeit at a slower rate, from the sheds at the bottom of the garden of no. 6. I'm trying to tie up the loose ends on the British Ceratopogonidae, but there is still a lot we don't know in the way of identity and distribution. For instance, Art Borkent's recent paper on Neurobezzia and Neurohelea shows only three localities in Britain despite Edwards' remark that it is "common in western and northern Britain". Where are they all?

    Other projects in hand are keys to the Culicoides of Italy and a look at Ceratopogonidae from the Arabian Peninsula. This will follow on from an earlier paper on Culicoides from that area. There is certainly a very diverse fauna, untouched by entomologists, and considerable problem with its mix of Palaearctic, Afrotropical and Oriental species. Dasyhelea seem to be especially common in all catches examined, with a corresponding diversity of species.

    Being retired the CIE becomes especially valuable as a means of keeping in touch with what is going on. Dan Hagan does a magnificent job keeping it going, but can't do so without your contributions as I know from past experience. Support your Editor by writing that short paragraph you meant to send off last week! It may not be news to you but it will be to someone else.

    My address is jean-claude.delecolle@zool-ulp.u-strasbg.fr

    Just a small note of my e-mail address. Best regards.

    The second issue of "New Entomological Taxa" is now posted and freely available to everyone through the Scientific Reference Resources website. Like issue 1, it contains about 400 new species, about 80 new taxa of other ranks and 100 nomenclature changes (comb.n., syn.n., etc.) You may access either the full edition or individual taxonomic sections from links on the main NET page at:

                        http://www.sciref.org/net/index.htm

    Over 120 journal and serial titles have been added to the coverage in the few short weeks since the first issue came out, bringing the total to around 850. This expansion was facilitated by those who agreed to exchange a journal published by your organization for a subscription to "New Entomological Taxa". The newly added titles are indicated by an asterisk in the updated list which is posted at:

                        http://www.sciref.org/net/net1-2/j1-2.htm

    The structure of the individual taxonomic sections have been improved since issue 1. Each index for each taxonomic section is now placed into a separate file, and more links between files in each section permit easier navigation.

    Starting with the next issue of NET, a Cumulative Index of Families will be posted. This list will be updated with each new issue of NET. You will be able to purchase individual issues of NET which contain new taxa or nomenclature changes in a particular Family of interest.

    The expansion of our literature coverage and logical arrangement of information on the site will be ongoing processes. Comments and suggestions for improving the literature coverage or presentation of NET are always welcome.

Dr. Michael L. Grieneisen, President
Scientific Reference Resources
Post Office Box 76374
Davis, California 95616 USA
E-mail: net@sciref.org

    I have finished the manuscript of my book and I have below a summary in English.

Adaptations and Evolution (Diptera, Ceratopoganidae)
by V.A. Isaev
Ivanovo, Ivanovo State University, Russia

Summary

    The book is devoted to some questions of the midges evolutionary morphology and karyology. The author pays attention to ecological value of morphological peculiarities of midges. It is stated that there is a certain correlation between trophic speciality and some morphofunctional adaptations of bloodsucking and non-bloodsucking midges.
    The trophic specialization and evolutionary patterns of development and the reproductive biology of the midges are analyzed by the author.
    The monograph includes a revue of works on morphology, life cycles and phylogeny (cladistic analysis). The phylogenetic relation of Ceratopogonidae and the differences of morphological and karyological evolution are discussed.
    Evolutionary tendencies in the family of midges and evolution of karyotypes of haematophagous insects are compared.
    The monograph can be useful mainly for ceratopogonidologists, entomologists, parasitologists, for students and my university colleagues.

    I have retired from the Niigata Sangyo University since April 1998, please note my new address is Koyo-cho 1279-215, Kashiwazaki, Niigata, Japan 945-1102.

    Two years ago and 1988, I conducted a survey of biting midges at Oda-machi, Ehime situated in the Shikoku Island and were able to collect 23 Culicoides and 3 Lasiohelea species including many Oriental ones from only a site setting a light-trap.

    I deeply regret to inform you of the sad news that Dr. Masaaki Tokunaga died of old age of 95 years on August 2, 1998 in Kyoto. Dr. Tokunaga was a very productive entomologist covering wide and various fields of fundamental, agricultural and medical entomology. As an item of interest, he published a voluminous textbook entitled: "Iyokonchu-gaku" of 1410 pages on Medical Entomology in 1943. He was a pioneer of taxonomic work on Ceratopogonidae of Japan and neighboring countries since 1932. Also I heard on occasion from him that Dr. Willis W. Wirth began his efforts as a ceratopogonid specialist by Dr. Tokunaga's suggestion.

Sincerely yours,
Shigeo Kitaoka

    My father, Masaaki Tokunaga, passed away Aug. 4, 1998 nearing the age of 96.

Sincerely yours,
Mototsugu Tokunaga

    Greetings from Trinidad and Tobago. My name is Michael Morais and I am doing a post-graduate degree on the ceratopogonidae found on beaches in Trinidad. I was hoping to pursue just such an angle of research (on nematodes found associated with ceratopogonidae) with the intention of using nematodes as biological control agents.

    Can anyone please send me copies of papers on this subject. Please ask any other persons doing research on Ceratopogonidae in the Caribbean and Latin America to contact me. My mailing address is:

Caribbean Epidemiology Centre, P.O. Box 164, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies

    Two major international databases of entomological and agricultural
literature are now available for free on WWW---

AGRICOLA, including both the journal article database from 1979 to present,
and the catalog of the USDA National Agricultural Library:

                http://www.nal.usda.gov/ag98/ag98.html

AGRIS, the FAO agricultural journal article database:

                http://bwg.fao.org/agrisnew/

Scott E. Miller, Leader, Biodiversity and Conservation Programme
International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE)
Box 30772, Nairobi, KENYA
Tel: +254-2-861680 [switchboard] -861309 [direct] Fax: +254-2-860110
Email: smiller@icipe.org -- or -- scottm@hawaii.edu

    We are continuing work on several different projects. Mark Breidenbaugh completed his M.S. on desert Culicoides species, with particular emphasis on the immatures. The first manuscript on this was just published in the Proc. Entomol. Soc. Wash., with complete descriptions (egg, larva, pupa, adult) of two new species- C. kettlei and C. vetustus. These species were first spotted in our collections by Bill Wirth many years ago. A second manuscript describing the eggs, larvae and some pupae of several desert species is pending in the same journal. Thanks to Art Borkent, Bill Grogan, and Steve Murphree for their help and encouragement on various aspects of these studies.
    Alec Gerry is working hard to complete analysis and writing on his Ph.D. project, dealing with vector capacity of C. sonorensis on a southern California dairy. Based on his work, we hope to follow up with an intensive look at what is happening in the winter here. If the vectors have a role in winter maintenance of bluetongue virus, this is a good place to look for it. We also hope to find where the flies are resting, especially during oogenesis. If any of you have good ideas on how and/or where to look, I'd be happy to hear from you!
    The past two summers we tested permethrin for its possible utility in protecting cattle against C. sonorensis feeding and against bluetongue exposure. A belly application on calves reduced very significantly the numbers of insects able to engorge and then leave to be collected in an enclosure trap in the field. However, a preliminary look at our data on seroconversion (whole herd treatments) suggests that the insecticide did not reduce bluetongue exposure. Our hair feeding bioassays show it is rather common for insects to feed through treated hair and be killed or incapacitated only afterwards. We have a manuscript ready to submit pending hair residue analyses, which I hope we can get done soon. More on this later.
    A note on the interaction between an iridescent virus and Heleidomermis in Culicoides was just published in the J. Invert. Pathol. In short, the virus is pretty stable in an aquatic habitat but cannot invade the host well unless the mermithid preparasites are there (probably provides access).
    When mermithids allow it, the virus is virulent and has an incubation period of only a few days, killing the host before the nematode can mature. Thus, while the virus might be regarded as a "natural enemy", it is antagonistic for biological control.

    Congratulations for the excellent work keeping tight the links of ceratopogonid workers around the world. This is to inform you changes of residential and e-mail addresses , as follows:

soria@gene.dbbm.fiocruz.br , or
soria@ioc.fiocruz.br or in case of failure may even try
soria@cnpuv.embrapa.br
        please, try these successively.

    I am pleased to inform you that I was invited to join the team of dipteran systematists of the Instituto Oswaldo Cruz of Rio de Janeiro. I joined, in particular, the team of Drs. Sebastiao Jose de Oliveira (Chironomidae), Maria Luiza Fellippe-Bauer (Ceratopogonidae) and Maria Conceiçao Messias (Chironomidae).
    I kept with me few reprints of my past work on ceratopogonidae related to the pollination of cacao and other tropical crops, available for whoever might become really interested in developing further work, I will be able to send by surface mail.
    I wish you a very successful and productive year of 1999, my wishes are extensive to all ceratopogonid workers around the world. As you may know, I was privileged having had the orientation of the always present Prof. Dr. W.W. Wirth who taught me to recognize these tiny creatures. I am pleased to have been recently appointed to continue the ceratopogonid work as a Visiting Research Entomologist at the following address:

Coleçao Entomologica, Departamento de Entomologia
Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, IOC-FIOCRUZ
Avenida Brasil 4365, Manguinhos
Caixa Postal 926
21045.900 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

    where my work is enhanced within a research project entitled: "determination of the taxonomic identity and bioecology of ceratopogonid midges of medical and agronomic importance, associated to Mata Atlantica and Tropical Rain Forest agro-ecosystems."
    I wish also to inform you that I keep few sets of reprints of my past work on neotropical Forcipomyia and other related genera involved in the pollination of cacao and other tropical crops , available for researchers overseas interested in continuing this type of work, free of cost , to be sent by surface mail.
    Please contact my email as follows:

soria@ioc.fiocruz.br or soria@gene.dbbm.fiocruz.br .

    I wish also to inform you that midges related to my past work, identified by Dr. W.W. Wirth were deposited in the Gregorio Bondar Collection of the Cacao Research Center, P.O. Box 7, Km. 22 Rod. Ilheus-Itabuna, 45600.000 Itabuna, Bahia, Brazil;
in the U.S. National Museum of Washington, D.C.;
in the Museo Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina

and in the Entomological Collection of the Instituto Oswaldo Cruz,
IOC-FIOCRUZ, P.O. Box 926,
Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.

    Please extend this information to other colleagues of the ceratopogonid circle. Congratulations for the very beautiful work of keeping alive the ceratopogonid newsletter.
    Many thanks. Sincerely,
    Saulo de Jesus Soria

    Just received an announcement from Classey: announcing the publication of Contributions to a MANUAL OF PALAEARCTIC DIPTERA (with special reference to flies of economic importance) VOLUME 3 - Higher Brachycera. Edited by L. Papp & B. Darvas. This, the second published volume, contains 880 pages and consists of an Introduction and General Index by the editors and coverage of 55 families by 32 authors. The text is in English and is liberally illustrated by excellent text figures. Keys are generally to genus level with many comments on contained species, especially on biology, very often with detailed descriptions and illustrations of the early stages.
    The volume 3 is in hardback, Large, 880 pages and produced on superior quality paper. The price of 148.00 UK pounds (approx US$ 243.00) includes surface mail. Stock should be arriving within 3-4 weeks.
    Volume 2 Nematocera & Lower Brachycera was published in 1997 and is available at 128 UK pounds (approx US$ 210)
    E.W. Classey Ltd, Oxford House, Marlborough Street, Faringdon, Oxfordshire SN7 7JP, England - Telephone: (+44) 1367 244700; Fax: (+44) 1367 244800; e-mail: Bugbooks@classey.demon.co.uk or the URL Http://www.abebooks.com/home/bugbooks

Barlow, K.E. 1997. The diets of two phonic types of the bat Pipistrellus pipistrellus in Britain. Journal of Zoology 243: 597-609.

Blackwell, A; and F.C. King. 1997. The vertical distribution of Culicoides impunctatus larvae. Medical and Veterinary Entomology 11: 45-48.

Blackwell, A. 1997. Diel flight periodicity of the biting midge Culicoides impunctatus and the effects of meteorological conditions. Medical and Veterinary Entomology 11: 361-367.

Braverman, Y.; N. Messaddeq, C. Lemble, and M. Kremer. 1996. Reevaluation of the taxonomic status of the Culicoides spp. (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) from Israel and the eastern Mediterranean and review of their potential medical and veterinary importance. Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association 12(3): 437-445.

Breidenbaugh, M.S. and B.A. Mullens. 1999. Two new western Nearctic Culicoides Latreille (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) described from all stages. Proc. Entomol. Soc. Wash. 101(1): 149-163.

Chapman, H.F., P.E.R. Dale, and B.H. Kay. 1998. A method for assessing the effects of runneling on salt marsh grapsid crab populations. Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association. 14(1) :61-68.

Felippe-Bauer, M.L. 1998. Redescription of two species of Monohelea Kieffer (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). Entomologia y Vectores, Rio de Janerio 5(6): 217-230.

Felippe-Bauer, M.L. 1999. Addenda: Redescription of two species of Monohelea Kieffer (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). Entomologia y Vectores, Rio de Janerio 6(1): 111.

Felippe-Bauer, M.L. and G.R. Spinelli. 1998. A new Neotropical species of Monohelea Kieffer (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janerio 93(1): 63-64.

Giddings, J.M.; R.C. Biever, M.F. Annunziato, and A.J. Hosmer. 1996. Effects of diazinon on large outdoor pond microcosms. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 15: 618-629.

Huerta, H. and S. Ibanez-Bernal. 1998. Primer registro de los generos Nilobezzia Kieffer y Schizonyxhelea Clastrier en Mexico (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). Folia Entomol. Mex. 102: 71-72.

Kitaoka, S. 1998. Notes on blood-sucking midges from northern part of Japan. Trans. ent. Soc. Niigata. 80: 74-81.

Lardeux, F.J.R.; and T. Ottenwaelder. 1997. Density of larval Culicoides belkini (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in relation to physicochemical variables in different habitats. Journal of Medical Entomology 32: 387-395.

McCabe, G.T., Jr; S.A. Hinton, and R.L. Emmett. 1998. Benthic invertebrates and sediment characteristics in a shallow navigation channel of the lower Columbia River, before and after dredging. Northwest Science 72(2): 116-126.

McCabe, G.T., Jr; S.A. Hinton, R.L. Emmett, and B.P. Sandford. 1997. Benthic invertebrates and sediment characteristics in main channel habitats in the lower Columbia River. Northwest Science 71: 45-55.

Mitchell, R. 1998. The behavior of Arrenurus larvae (Acari: Hydrachnidea) parasitizing Diptera. Acarologia 39(1): 49-56.

Mujumdar, B.C.; S.K. Dasgupta and L. Gangopadhyay. 1997. Some new species of Hoffmania Fox subgenus of Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). Journal of Bengal Natural History Society 16 (2): 27-34.

Mullens, B.A.; and A.C. Gerry. 1998. Comparison of Bait Cattle and Carbon Dioxide-Baited Suction Traps for Collecting Culicoides variipennis sonorensis (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) and Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae). J. Med. Entomol., 35(3): 245-250.

Mullens, B.A.; and K.A. Luhring. 1996. Salinity and pollution effects on survival and infectivity of Heleidomermis magnapapula (Stichosomida: Mermithidae) for Culicoides variipennis sonorensis (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) Environmental Entomology 25: 1202-1208.

Paradise, C.J. 1998. Colonization and development of insects in simulated treehole habitats with distinct resource and pH regimes. Ecoscience. Sainte-Foy 5: 39-45.

Paradise, C.J.; and W.A. Dunson. 1997. Insect species interactions and resource effects in treeholes: Are helodid beetles bottom-up facilitators of midge populations? Oecologia 109: 303-312.

Raich, T; M. Jacobson, F. Holbrook, R. Babion, C. Blair, and B. Beaty. 1997. Culicoides variipennis (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) host selection in Colorado. Journal of Medical Entomology 34(2): 247-249.

Sota, T. 1996. Effects of capacity on resource input and the aquatic metazoan community structure in phytotelmata. Researches on Population Ecology 38: 65-73.

Sota, T; and M. Mogi. 1996. Species richness and altitudinal variation in the aquatic metazoan community in bamboo phytotelmata from North Sulawesi. Researches on Population Ecology 38: 275-281.

Soot-Ryen, T. 1943. A preliminary list of Norwegian Finds of Heleidae and Tendipedidae. Tromso Museums Arshefter, Naturhistorisk Avd. 64 (3): 1-44.

Williams, D.D.; N.E. Williams, and Yong Cao. 1997. Spatial differences in macroinvertebrate community structure in springs in southeastern Ontario in relation to their chemical and physical environments. Canadian Journal of Zoology/Revue Canadien de Zoologie 75: 1404-1414.

Wohltmann, A; and F-E. Wendt. 1996. Observations on the biology of two hygrobiotic trombidioid mites (Acari: Prostigmata: Parasitengonae), with special regard to host recognition and parasitism tactics. Acarologia, 37: 31-44.