Morphology and DNA barcoding reveal three species in one: description of C ulicoides cryptipulicaris sp. nov. and C ulicoides quasipulicaris sp. nov. in the subgenus C ulicoides

Species of the genus C ulicoides ( D iptera: C eratopogonidae) are well known for their importance in the field of medical and veterinary entomology. C ulicoides spp. transmit a wide variety of pathogens, primarily viruses that affect animals and humans. In E urope, the most economically important disease transmitted by C ulicoides is bluetongue ( BT ). C ulicoides spp. have been recently involved as primary vectors for S chmallenberg disease. The taxonomy within the subgenus C ulicoides has been historically difficult and reorganizations have been proposed regularly. The subgenus C ulicoides includes species that are considered to be potential vectors for BT . High morphological intraspecific variability has been attributed to these species. This highlights the apparent presence of previously undetected cryptic species diversity in the subgenus. In the present study, a detailed morphological and molecular study of specimens belonging to C ulicoides pulicaris s.l. and specimens resembling a cross between C . pulicaris and C ulicoides punctatus revealed the presence of two new species: C ulicoides cryptipulicaris and C ulicoides quasipulicaris. Females of C . quasipulicaris and males of both species were morphologically distinguished from C . pulicaris ( L innaeus, 1758), whereas females of C . cryptipulicaris were identified using molecular techniques exclusively.