Supplementary Figure. One of the first ever pictures of an adult female, blood fed Culicoides obsoletus, (approximately 1.5 mm in length), a species of biting midge that has long been suspected as a vector for bluetongue virus. Some of the recent outbreaks of bluetongue within southern and central Europe have occurred beyond the range of C. imicola, the major vector species in the region. This indicates the involvement of one or more alternative vector species, probably C. obsoletus and/or C. pulicaris, both of which are abundant across much of northern Europe, including the UK. The involvement of these novel insect vectors, together with an effective overwintering mechanism for the virus, could dramatically increase the threat posed by bluetongue virus to areas (particularly within northern Europe) that were previously free of the disease. Photograph provided by Steven Archibald and Eric Denison, Institute for Animal Health, Pirbright, Surrey, UK

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