Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41631484›Full record

ArticleMedical and veterinary entomology2026

An updated checklist of Culicoides Latreille, 1809 biting midges from the highlands of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Alisa Kubala, Kristin Warren, Rudolf Meiswinkel, Michael Cranfield, Ian Robertson, Lian Yeap, Rebecca Vaughan-Higgins, Radar Nishuli, Eddy Kambale Syaluha, Jean-Paul Kabemba Lukusa and 2 more

Abstract read
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Article in Medical and veterinary entomology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Alisa KubalaSchool of Veterinary Medicine, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.ORCID 0009-0009-0972-640X
Kristin WarrenSchool of Veterinary Medicine, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Rudolf Meiswinkel *Independent Researcher, Rome, Italy.
Michael Cranfield *Gorilla Doctors (MGVP, Inc.), University of California, Davis, California, USA.
Ian RobertsonSchool of Veterinary Medicine, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Lian YeapSchool of Veterinary Medicine, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Rebecca Vaughan-HigginsSchool of Veterinary Medicine, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Radar NishuliInstitut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Eddy Kambale SyaluhaGorilla Doctors (MGVP, Inc.), University of California, Davis, California, USA.
Jean-Paul Kabemba LukusaGorilla Doctors (MGVP, Inc.), University of California, Davis, California, USA.
Martin Kabuyaya BalyananziGorilla Doctors (MGVP, Inc.), University of California, Davis, California, USA.
Yvonne-Marie LintonDepartment of Entomology, Smithsonian Institution-National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-9790-4791

Funding

Smithsonian Institution's Global Health Program
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The highlands of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are home to critically endangered eastern gorillas (Gorilla beringei). Concerns have been raised that the increased temperatures and extreme weather conditions associated with climate change will lead to an increase in the abundance and distribution of Culicoides-borne diseases. Here, we utilized an integrated morphological and molecular approach to identify Culicoides species in a small but significant collection of Culicoides captured from highland eastern gorilla habitat and surrounding areas and updated the Culicoides spp. reported from the highlands of the eastern DRC. A review of the literature related to Culicoides collections in the DRC was conducted in French and English. Recent worldwide checklists were consulted to rectify synonyms and other discrepancies found in the literature for the region. Fresh Culicoides specimens were collected, wings slide-mounted and remaining carcasses subjected to DNA extraction. A total of 82 Culicoides specimens were collected. From these, 75 high-quality DNA barcodes (658-bp of the mtDNA COI gene) were obtained, belonging to 14 distinct taxa, 11 of which were new records for the DRC, including C. bolitinos Meiswinkel, 1989, C. hortenis Khamala & Kettle, 1971, C. citroneus Carter, Ingram & Macfie, 1920, and C. radiomaculatus Khamala & Kettle, 1971, and seven species new to science (C. sp. nr. citroneus, C. sp. nr. glabripennis 1, C. sp. nr. glabripennis 2, C. sp. nr. kibatiensis 1, C. sp. nr. kibatiensis 2, C. sp. nr. neavei 1 and C. sp. nr. neavei 2), increasing the known Culicoides fauna of the DRC from 20 to 31. The presence of C. imicola Kieffer, 1913, C. enderleini Cornet & Brunhes, 1994 and C. neavei Austin, 1912, was confirmed. The potential health impact of the association of known Culicoides pathogen vectors with endangered gorillas is discussed.

Indexed as

Animal DistributionCeratopogonidaeInsect VectorsAnimalsChecklistDemocratic Republic of the CongoDNA Barcoding, TaxonomicElectron Transport Complex IVFemaleMaleElectron Transport Complex IVAfricabiting midgescountry listDemocratic Republic of Congouplands

Identifiers

PMID41631484
PMCPMC13140009

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.