In the past decade, two pathogens transmitted by Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), bluetongue virus and Schmallenberg virus, have caused serious economic losses to the European livestock industry, most notably affecting sheep and cattle. These outbreaks of arboviral disease have highlighted large knowledge gaps on the biology and ecology of indigenous Culicoides species. With...

Over the last decade, remote sensing technologies and geographical information systems have moved from the research arena into the hands of vector control specialists. This review explains remote sensing approaches and spatial information technologies used for investigations of arthropod pests and vectors of diseases affecting humans and livestock. Relevant applications are summarized with exam...

Canthariphilous species are those arthropods attracted to cantharidin (CTD), a defensive compound produced by two beetle families (Meloidae and Oedemeridae). Although several known be CTD, canthariphily was recently discovered in new species, suggesting that the list of canthariphilous is still far from being complete. A systematic sampling focused detect has never been performed Italy. The pre...