Комары-кусаки Leptoconops torrens: Биология и распространение.

Species of fly

Leptoconops torrens (commonly known as the biting midge fly) is a species of small biting flies in the no see um family Ceratopogonidae. They were first mentioned in writing by Charles Henry Tyler Townsend in 1893. The name Leptoconops carteri is a junior synonym of L. torrens. They are prevalent in the southwestern and southeastern areas of the United States. The females have relatively stout abdomens, and have no hairs around their eye area. Males also lack hair on the face. and southeast Florida as well as the Caribbean. They have also been observed in Colorado and Nevada. Requiring this clay soil limits where L. torrens can populate. When the clay soil dries, cracks are formed to allow for adults to emerge. L. torrens tends to be in areas with cracks less than in width.

Larvae occasionally enter diapause for more than 3 years under certain conditions, Once fed on blood, females can mature and lay eggs. However, females may die from ruptured oviducts from egg pressure. Ovaries may contain 60 to 70 eggs.

Female L. torrens feed only once, taking blood meals from vertebrates by burrowing into the feathers or fur of warm blooded animals. There is evidence that females may also prey males if there are no warm blooded hosts available. Before biting, flies explore the host before feeding for around 1.5 minutes. They are difficult to frighten away before biting, but are more easily shooed afterwards. Once the fly has fed, it defecates, sometimes with a drop of ingested blood. Feeding can take any time from 2 to 4 minutes. Because only the females feed on blood, L. torrens is considered a facultative hematophage.

Males feed on nectar from plants or honeydew from other insects. If near sources of algae growth, they may also feed on algae or microbes on the algae to develop fat. L. torrens adults live for less than 12 hours without food and up to 5 days otherwise.

Male L. torrens have been observed in dancing swarms, where mating occurs. The males typically emerge in the season earlier than the females do and are ready to mate as soon as the females emerge from their pupal state. The females are attracted to the swarming males and fly into the dancing swarms of the males and mate with the two insects oriented end to end.

Females may bite humans, injecting saliva under the skin where blood then pools. Females tend to bite around the head and arms. Although small, these flies can leave swellings in diameter. The bitten area initially becomes inflamed and red before shrinking. Allergic reactions and secondary infection are also concerns involving bites. Unlike some close relatives, L. torrens are not known to transmit any diseases.

L. torrens is a pest, especially in California, and has been the source of several infestations. The tendency for larvae to enter diapause causes large swarms to emerge in certain years. Construction projects and farming efforts sometimes had to be temporarily suspended in the past because of L. torrens bites. Various forms of DDT were used to control populations in the past. Since adult flies rest on grass before taking flight, using pesticides just before emergence can help control populations. Malathion, diazinon, and fenthion are insecticides that has been effective in decreasing adult emergence. No tested insecticides have been able to control L. torrens from their larval stage in the soil. Planting sugar beets, alfalfa, and tomatoes may deter L. torrens from breeding. There are also specialized traps to control the flies' emergence, using methods such as carbon dioxide attractants for large scale population control.