C. obsoletus (Meigen 1818)

Taxonomy	Biology	Distribution

Ceratopogon obsoletus Meigen 1818: 76. TL Europe
(Goetghebuer 1921: 180. Note, figs)
(Edwards 1926: 405. Notes)
(Edwards 1939: 45, 143. Notes, figs)
(Kono & Takahashi 1940: 71. Notes, biting)
(Hill 1947: 97. Biology, rearing)
(Downes & Kettle 1952: 62. Notes, figs, key)
(Kettle & Lawson 1952: 447. Early stages, figs, key)
(Clastrier 1957: 404. ♂, ♀, notes, figs)
(Campbell & Pelham-Clinton 1960: 263. ♂, ♀, notes, keys, figs)
(Gutsevich 1960: 76. ♂, ♀, notes, figs)
(Coluzzi & Kremer 1964: 66. Notes, record, Italy)
(Callot, Kremer & Coluzzi 1965: 162. Notes, Italy)
(Smatov 1966: 85. Notes, record Kazakhstan)
(Kremer 1966: 184. ♂, ♀, notes, fig)
(Service 1968: 325. Biology)
(Havelka 1976: 221. Notes)
(Glukhova 1979: 187. Larva)
(Mirzaeva 1984: 365. Note, figs, key to Avaritia)
(Delecolle 1985: 74. ♂, ♀, notes, figs)
(Boorman 1986: 225. Notes)
(Glukhova 1989: 185. ♂, ♀, notes, figs, larva, pupa)
    = varius (Winnertz)
Culicoides varius Winnertz 1852: 35. TL Germany
(Winnertz 1852: 35. ♂, ♀, desc. Figs palp, wing)
(Goetghebuer 1920: 51. ♂, ♀, notes, figs)
    = yezoensis (Matsumura)
Ceratopogon yezoensis Matsumura 1911: 60. TL Russia
    = obscuripes Santos Abreu
Culicoides varius var. obscuripes Santos Abreu 1918: 297. TL Canary Is.
    = lacteinervis Kieffer
Culicoides lacteinervis Kieffer 1919: 47. TL Slovak Republic, Ukraine
(Kieffer 1919: 47. ♀, desc, fig)
    = rivicola Kieffer
Culicoides rivicola Kieffer 1921: 56. TL Germany
    = clavatus Kieffer
Culicoides clavatus Kieffer 1921: 56. TLGermany
    = heterocerus Kieffer
Culicoides heterocerus Kieffer 1921: 57. TL Germany
    = pegobius Kieffer
Culicoides pegobius Kieffer 1922: 235. TL Germany
(Kono & Takahashi 1940: 72. ♀, notes)
    = kabyliensis Kieffer
Culicoides kabyliensis Kieffer 1922: 505. TL Algeria
    = concitus Kieffer--
Culicoides concitus Kieffer 1922: 71. TL Germany
    = intermedius Okada
Culicoides obsoletus var. intermedius Okada 1941: 22. TL Japan (preocc.)
    = sintrensis Cambournac
Culicoides sintrensis Cambournac 1956: 591. TL Portugal
    = seimi Shevchenko
Culicoides seimi Shevchenko 1967: 173. TL Ukraine

Diagnosis and Notes

The wings are vaguely marked with the second radial cell pale. It is easily distinguished by the form of the male genitalia, in particular the deeply cleft (but not completely divided) ninth sternite; but see also filicinus. AR 1.04-1.23; SD 3,11-15. The females of obsoletus, scoticus and dewulfi are very difficult to distinguish reliably although in general scoticus females are somewhat larger and more well-marked than the others (but see remarks under dewulfi above). It could be mistaken for a vaguely marked impunctatus, but the palp in obsoletus bears a single small sensory pit whereas in impunctatus there are several small, superficial pits. Both sexes are very similar to montanus, but the females of that species have short, stout and blunt sensilla trichodea (“soies transparentes”) on the basal antennal segments which are each about one segment in length, whereas in obsoletus these sensilla are about two segments in length, tapering and sharply pointed.
The figures are from Edwards (1939)