Fauna of Biting Midges ( Diptera : Simuliidae ) in Russia

Blood-sucking midges of the family Simuliidae are small two-winged insects from the suborder of long-whiskers (Diptera: Nematocera). They are widely distributed in all landscape-geographical zones of the Russian Federation and have important medical and epidemiological significance as hematophagy and vectors of human and animal diseases. The hydrological regime of the watercourse and biotopic factors deter-mine the species composition and number of midges developing in the watercourse, as well as the blood-sucking activity of the flown females. The paper presents data on the species diversity of blood-sucking midges, by region, currently about 1600 species of midges belonging to 81 genera are known in the world fauna, and the question of the ecologi-cal properties of insects depending on the climatic features of habitats is raised. Presently, systematic studies of the areas and population density of the main vectors of infection on the territory of the Russian Federation are not carried out or are carried out only in some individual regions, which makes it much more difficult to assess the risk of introduction and spread of infections. Due to global warming, there is a possibility of penetration of the most plastic species of blood-sucking arthropods into the northern regions, which will have a direct impact on the epidemiology and epizootology of vector-borne diseases. This includes regular study of biota diversity, identification of changes, comparing them with shifts in environmental parameters, analysis of changes, conclusions on necessary measures to preserve biodiversity, and identifying the impacts of global changes on biota.


INTRODUCTION
Midges are one of the components of insects of the "gnus" complex.Simuliids are widespread in all landscape-geographical zones of the Russian Federation and are of great medical and epidemiological significance as hematophagy and vectors of human and animal diseases.Currently, systematic studies of the ranges and population density of the main carriers of infection in the Russian Federation, unfortunately, are not carried out or are carried out only in some individual regions, which greatly complicates the assessment of the risk of introduction and spread of infections.In connection with the ongoing processes of global warming on the planet, there is a possibility of the penetration of the most plastic species of blood-sucking arthropods into the northern regions, which will have a direct impact on the epidemiology and epizootology of vector-borne diseases [1,2].The International Convention on Biological Diversity, adopted at a special conference of the UN General Assembly in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, includes a requirement to ensure the monitoring of biodiversity at the national and international levels.The article summarizes the available materials of publications on blood-sucking midges, common in Russia, and their role as carriers of pathogens.Biting midges of the family Simuliidae are small two-winged insects from the Nematocera suborder.The preimaginal stages develop under conditions of favorable oxygen and hydrological Fiodorova Entomol.Appl.Sci.Lett., 2023, 10(2): 56-67 57 conditions in fast-flowing rivers and streams, using aquatic macrophytes, leaf litter, stones, and artificial substrates as attachment substrates.The hydrological regime of the watercourse and biotopic factors determine the species composition and number of midges developing in the watercourse, as well as the blood-sucking activity of emerging females [3].Midges are one of the components of insects of the "gnus" complex.Simuliids are widespread in all landscape-geographical zones of the Russian Federation and are of great medical and epidemiological significance as hematophages and vectors of human and animal diseases.Currently, systematic studies of the ranges and population density of the main carriers of infection in the Russian Federation, unfortunately, are not carried out or carried out only in some individual regions, which greatly complicates the assessment of the risk of introduction and spread of infections.In connection with the ongoing processes of global warming on the planet, there is a possibility of the penetration of the most adaptive species of blood-sucking arthropods into the northern regions, which will have a direct impact on the epidemiology and epizootiology of vector-borne diseases [1,2].The International Convention on Biological Diversity, adopted at a special conference of the UN General Assembly in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, includes a requirement to ensure the monitoring of biodiversity at the national and international levels.These include the regular study of biota diversity, identification of changes, their comparison with shifts in the values of environmental parameters, analysis of changes, conclusions about the necessary measures to conserve biodiversity, and identification of the impacts of global changes on biota [4].In connection with all of the above, we have attempted to summarize the currently available publications on biting midges common in Russia and their role as carriers of pathogens.Currently, about 1600 species of midges belonging to 81 genera are known in the world's fauna [5].Most of the studies on the fauna of biting midges in Russia were carried out in the second half of the 20th century; since then, there have been significant changes in the taxonomy of the family Simuliidae [5], therefore, in the table, which presents the species composition of biting midges according to the literature data, we give modern names of species and genera, and in brackets -used earlier.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
In this paper, an analysis of our data, as well as literary data, is carried out, which speaks about the spread of blood-sucking midges and the medical and epidemiological significance of hematophages and vectors of human and animal diseases in the territory of Russia.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The most complete faunistic list of biting midges in Western Siberia and the Ural is presented in the monographs of I.A. Rubtsova [6], V.D. Patrusheva [7], and V.A. Yankovsky [5].For Western Siberia, I.A. Rubtsov [6] notes 18 species, according to V.D. Patrusheva [7] there are at least 40 species inhabiting the region.According to the research of V.D. Patrusheva [7] a typical form of Simulium morsitans Edw., noted by I.A. Rubtsov, does not occur in Siberia, and therefore information on this species refers either to Sim. longipalpe Belt., or to any of the close forms, while the species is indicated as Simulium sp.aff.Morsitans Edw.The first information on the fauna of midges in the Tyumen region is presented in the monograph by I.A. Rubtsov [3] and their systematic study began in 1959 by employees of the Biological Institute of the Siberian Branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences (now the Institute of Animal Systematics and Ecology of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences).During this period, fauna of the Tyumen region included all finds on the territory of the modern Yamalo-Nenets and Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrugs, and the south of the region.In this article, we divided the literature data on the species composition of midges according to the place of their discovery into these three independent regions.The species composition of biting midges in the south of the Tyumen region was studied by V.D. Patrusheva, V.I.Bukshtynov, V.U.Mitrokhin, and Yu.V. Gultyaev.In the suburbs of Demyanskoe V.D. Patrusheva [8]  In 1982 V.D. Patrusheva [7] added Sim longipalpe Edw., Simulium venustum Say. to the list of known species.In 2003-2010, cases of detection of entomology and disinsection at the All-Russian Research Institute of Veterinary Entomology and Arachnology were revealed.As a result of the research, the faunistic list was filled with 1 species -Schoenbaueria subpusilla Rub.[13].Thus, the fauna of midges of the family Simuliidae in the south of the Tyumen region includes 14 localities of 10 genera.In the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug, the study of the fauna of biting midges was carried out only in the 60s-80s of the last century.V.D. Patrushev [7,14] [15] registered 7 species of midges in the district, adding two species to the known list: B. erythrocephala and Sim.sp.aff.venustum.In the Surgut district of S.A. Novitskaya [16] discovered 6 species of midges previously discovered.E.G. Zavyalov [17] recorded 3 species in the Surgut region, and N.M.Krylov [18] in the area of the Samotlor oil field -6 previously known species.E.G. Zavyalov [17] recorded 3 species in the Surgut region, and N.M.Krylov [18] in the area of the Samotlor oil field -6 previously known species.In the suburbs of Nefteyugansk, 2 species prevailed: B. maculatus and Sch.pusilla [19].When studying the breeding sites of midges, V.U.Mitrokhin [11] established another species, P. transiens, in the lower reaches of the Irtysh.Later, in 1974, V.U.Mitrokhin [12] noted 10 species for this region, of which three were identified for the first time -Sch.nigra, Simulium sp.aff.morsitans Edw., Simulium tuberosum Lund.In 1982 V.D. Patrusheva [7] added one more species to the list of midges living in the area -Gnus malyschevi Dorog., Rubz.et Vlas.According to the literature materials, the fauna of the biting midges of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug is represented by 15 species belonging to 8 genera.The study of blood-sucking dipterous insects, including midges, on the territory of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug was mainly carried out during the exploration of new oil and gas fields in the second half of the 20th century.In the area of \u200b\u200bthe village of Labytnangi, V.D. Patrusheva and P.E.Polyakova [20] established the habitation of 8 species: B. maculatus, Schoenbaueria rangiferina Rubz., Sch.pusilla, Gnus corbis Tw., O. ornata, Archesimulium vulgare Dorog., Rubz.et Vlas., Sim.(morsitans) longipalpe, Sim.rostratum.In the forest-tundra zone, V.D. Patrusheva [8] also notes 8 blood-sucking species of midges, while she believes that another 2 species registered by I.A. Rubtsov [3] for the north of Western Siberia: Prosimulium hirtipes Fries and Schoenbaueria gigantean Rubz.should be included, which she did not find.Predominant species, according to V.D. Patrusheva [8], are Sch.pusilla and Sim.longipalpe.S.A. Novitskaya [21], after conducting research in the forest tundra of the Purovsky district, added 2 species to the faunistic list of blood-sucking midges in the district: B. erythrocephala and Sim.venustum.In 1972, V.D. Patrusheva (1972a) discovered one species of midges in the Polar Urals -Schoenbaueria tshernovskii Rub.. Later V.A. Shchepetkin [22] registered the habitation of 1 more species in the area -Simulium truncatum Lund., in addition, the author found larvae of 4 more species in watercourses: Cnephia pallipes Fr., Metacnephia tredecimata Edw., Cnetha bicornis Dor.et Rubz.and C. verna.In the suburbs of the village, Shchuchye V.D. Patrusheva [23] registered 2 previously registered species of midges, C. pallipes and Sim.truncatum.Two years later, V.D. Patrusheva et al. [24] added three more species to the list of midges: Metacnephia trigoniformis Yank., Metacnephia pectinata Patr., Metacnephia korsacovi Rubz.In 1982 V.D. Patrusheva [7] discovered 9 new species for the region: Metacnephia edwarsiana Rubz., Metacnephia tabescentifrons End., E. aureum, C. silvestris, C. pugetensis, Parabyssodon transiens Rubz., Schoenbaueria brachyarthran Rubz., Simulium posticatum Mg. and Archesimulium tuberosum Lund.In the suburbs of the village Cape Kamenny, the Neito lake system and the middle course of the river.Yuribey L.V. Boldarueva [25] discovered 6 additional species: Prosimulium kolymensis Patr., Stegopterna trigoni Lund., Cnetha arcticum Rubz., Sch.subpusilla, Archesimulium tumulosum Rubz.and Sim.tuberosum.In 1987 L.V. Petrozhitskaya [26] in the northern forest-tundra of Yamal confirmed the presence of one species indicated by I.A. Rubtsov [3] Sch. gigantea.As a result of the analysis of literature data, it was found that the fauna of the biting midges of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug is represented by 40 species belonging to 16 genera.In the Taimyr Autonomous Okrug, the midgets' fauna is poorly studied.The most studied part of the district was the right bank of the Yenisei.As a result of studies carried out in 1965-1968 [27]  The fauna of the European part of Russia is considered to be well-studied in the article by Medvedev S.G. [28].The blackfly fauna of Karelia and the Murmansk region has been studied by many researchers [3,[29][30][31].In total, according to Aibulatov S.V., Baryshev I.A. [32]  In Primorsky Krai, where the first information on the fauna and ecology of midges was published in the works of A.V. Gutsevytsya [33], Z.A. Radzivilovskaya [34][35][36], K.Ya.Grunina [37], I.A. Rubtsova [3].In subsequent years, no one was engaged in the study of midges in the Primorsky Territory.24  In the research of Z.V. Usov [41]  The diversity of the midge fauna on the territory of Kunashir, the southernmost of the islands of the Greater Kuril Ridge, is small -3 species of midges of 3 genera were found here: Cnetha spp., Gomphostilbia makartshenkovi Bodrova, Odagmia nishijimai Ono.[28].

CONCLUSION
To date, the topic is relevant and requires further research because these blood-sucking Diptera are carriers of several infectious and parasitic diseases in humans and animals.

ETHICS STATEMENT:
The study was conducted in accordance with international ethical standards.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT:
The article was prepared in accordance with the research plan for the program of fundamental scientific research of the Russian Academy of Sciences (No. 121042000066-6 "Study and analysis of the epizootic state of diseases of invasive etiology of agricultural and unproductive animals, bees and birds, changes in the species composition and bioecological patterns of the development cycle of parasites in conditions of displacement of boundaries their ranges) The research was funded by RFBR and Tyumen Region, number 20-416-720002.
Sim.morsitans longipalpe Belt., Sim.sp.from the group venustum Say, Sim.verecundumSt. etJamnb., while some of the captured individuals were identified only to the genus -Cnephia sp.