Abstract.Culicoides variipennis sonorensisfemales were fed bluetongue virus serotype 11 mixed in sheep blood and were held at constant temperatures of 32, 27, 21 and 15oC. Virogenesis, as measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), proceeded significantly faster at higher temperatures. Based on ELISA absorbance ≥0.2, some flies first were categorized as infected after 1 day, 2 days and 4 days at 32, 27 and 21oC, respectively. Peak levels of virus antigen were seen after 5–7, 7–13 and 18–22 days for flies held at 32, 27 and 21oC, respectively. There was no significant virus replication in flies held at 15oC for 22 days, but latent virus replicated and was detected easily (44% infection) 4–10 days after these flies were transferred to 27oC. The implications for temperature effects on bluetongue epizootiology ar