HITCHHIKER OR PARASITE - A CERATOPOGONID MIDGE AND ITS ODONATE HOST

The ceratopogonid genus Forcipornyia Meigen (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) contains species with a wide range of adult biologies. Species of the subgenus Pterobosca Macfie are phoretic and apparently parasitic on t he wing veins of other insects, notably odonates and sometimes lacewin gs. We describe F. (Pterobosca) debenhamae from Brunei as new to scien ce, taking the authorship of Cranston, tabulate the morphological dive rsity of the subgenus, and speculate on the phylogeny. The behaviour o f adult female midges, which have been found only upon the thorax of h osts predominantly of Libellago hyalina (Odonata: Chlorocyphidae), app ears to deleteriously impact on the quality and duration of territory holding of the host. The lack of any confirmation of host feeding lead s us to speculate on the nature of the association.