Ectoparasites reduce significantly animal production and welfare. They cause nuisance, anaemia, irritation and transfer of pathogens of important diseases, often leading to animal death. Examples of diseases with high mortality transmitted by arthropods include viral diseases, such as the Bluetongue disease, or parasitic diseases, such as piroplasmosis and filariosis. Biting midges of the Obsoletus species complex of the ceratopogonid genus Culi‐ coides were assumed to be the major vectors of bluetongue virus in northern and central Europe during the 2006 outbreak of bluetongue disease. Most recently, field specimens of the same group of species have also been shown to be infected with the newly emerged Schmallenberg virus in Europe, as other bloodsucking arthropods. Furthermore, ectoparasites may attack humans and threaten public health, such as diseases transmitted by mosquitoes or ticks.