The bluetongue is a serious vector-borne viral disease that affect wild and domestic ruminants. It is transmitted by midges belonging to the genus of Culicoides which count more than 1350 species. Since 1998, the disease has been spread in Europe and North Africa in 2000 including Algeria, while Korea reported serotype 1 of the virus on 2015. To know further about the existence and distribution of Culicoides species in Algeria, adult midges were collected from 17 different regions in Algeria from 2009 to 2015. The Interactive Identification Key of Culicoides (IIKC) has been used, followed by molecular identification by the sequencing of partial COI gene. At least 21 genetically different species have been identified. Among them, at least 5 potential virus vector species are present in Algeria. This study provides important insights for the understanding of genetic diversity of Culicoides and the existing potential of bluetongue spread in Algeria.

• Berrayah Hakima(School of Applied Biosciences, Kyungpook National University, National Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Algeria)
• Jae-Kyoung Shim(School of Applied Biosciences, Kyungpook National University)
• Kyeong-Yeoll Lee(School of Applied Biosciences, Kyungpook National University, Institute of Plant Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Sustainable Agriculture Research Center, Kyungpook National University, Gunwi)