Morphometric Variability in Natural and Laboratory Populations of CulicolDes Variipennis (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

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Abstract
Natural populations of Culicoides variipennis (Coq.) vary greatly from one habitat to another even when these habitats are in close proximity. This distinctness of populations was noted when morphological variables were considered singly or when multivariate statistical techniques were employed. Similarly, pronounced temporal variation was revealed in each of 2 populations observed at different times. Subsamples of larvae from an inbred laboratory population reared at different temperatures showed differences for every variable examined. Regression analysis revealed a definite relationship between temperature and nearly every morphological variable examined. These results suggest that the present subspecific nomenclature for the C. variipennis complex is perhaps invalid, and true biological subgroupings can be described only as the result of more refined genetic analyses.

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