Taxonomy, ecology and medical relevance of human-biting Leptoconops (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) from Andaman and Nicobar archipelago with insights on capture methods

Biting midges of the genus Leptoconops (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are neglected yet aggressive diurnal biting pests. This study investigates the species diversity, abundance, biting behaviour, trap efficiency, and public health relevance of Leptoconops across ten tourist and potential tourist beaches in the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago, India, during two peak tourist seasons. Three species were identified: Leptoconops (Styloconops) spinosifrons, first report from the archipelago; Leptoconops (Leptoconops) leptorhynchus, newly recorded from India and redescribed; Leptoconops (Leptoconops) paruii sp. nov., a proposed new species. Species identification was supported by morphological characters and a COI-based molecular phylogeny along with species delimitation analysis using ABGD, ASAP and mPTP. Biting activity studies revealed unimodal and bimodal biting patterns for L. paruii and L. spinosifrons, respectively. Inter-island distribution and abundance patterns revealed L. spinosifrons (most abundant) was restricted to the Andaman group, L. paruii occurred in both the Andaman group and the Great Nicobar, with L. leptorhynchus being the rarest. Among diurnal capture methods, HLC proved most effective for capturing host-seeking females, while sweep netting captured both sexes. Nocturnally, LED light sheets outperformed UV-based CDC and UT. Furthermore, the case report of Leptoconops bite-induced dermatitis highlights the potential clinical relevance of these bites for travellers and local population.