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==Life cycle==
==Life cycle==
Eggs are laid onto plants near water and the larvae fall into water and pupate. The life cycle takes '''6-12 months''' to complete in temperate climates, but can take only '''1 month''' in tropical climates. Females of most species are adapted to sucking blood from the host.
Eggs are laid onto plants near water and the larvae fall into water and pupate. The life cycle takes '''6-12 months''' to complete in temperate climates, but can take only '''1 month''' in tropical climates. Females of most species are adapted to sucking blood from the host.
''Culicoides'' take blood meals from vertebrate hosts and breed in damp, dung-enriched soil, and so are abundant in the vicinity of domestic livestock. Once eggs are laid in the soil, ''Culicoides'' larvae progress through four stages and pupate before becoming an adult midge. The lifecycle is greatly influenced by temperature: in temperate regions such as Britain, the adult midge population declines in October and is absent by December. The fourth larval stage overwinters, and adults re-appear the following April. The environmental conditions also affect the activity of midges in several ways. ''Culicoides'' survive around 10 days in warm weather but up to one month when conditions are cooler and are most active at night, from an hour before sunset to an hour after sunrise. Activity is decreased by windy conditions, and increased during the day when the weather is dull.
==Literature Search==
==Literature Search==