Efficiency of direct salt flotation (NaCI or MgSO4) for extraction of immature Culicoides variipennis from 30 ml aliquots of silt substrates was examined. When stirred at 5 min intervals for 15 min, MgSO4 efficiency with immatures added to autoclaved mud was 50%, 72%, 88%, 100% and 100% for instars 1-4 and pupae, respectively. NaCI was quite toxic to instars 1 and 2, immobilizing them in 0.6 and 11.7 min respectively. Trials with freshly collected field mud confirmed that recovery in either salt increased with larval age, that MgSO4 was superior for early instars, and that NaCI extracted more late instars in less time. Speed of larval extraction varied significantly on 2 different sampling days. Addition of the flocculant Separan speeded settling of the sediments and made sorting and counting larvae much easier. Overall, MgSO4 would be preferred for studies with all larval age classes, while NaCI would be preferred for quick extraction of late instars.