Forcipomyia (Pterobosca) paludis (Macfie, 1936) (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae) on adult dragonflies (Odonata) in Sardinia, Italy.
Ceratopogonid midges, referred to Forcipomyia paludis, were recorded from five dragonfly species in Sardinia, Italy. All ceratopogonids were females and almost all were in the last phase of the gonotrophic cycle (gravid females). Although a parasitic association cannot be excluded, no evidence was obtained of the midge biting activity, neither by direct observation nor indirectly, by detecting the expected lesions on the host cuticle. The attachment to dragonflies of F. paludis (perhaps an autogenous species) might fit well with the hypothesis of a phoretic association which would favour the long range dispersal of the gravid females.
Dipartimento di Biologia Animale e dell'Uomo, Università La Sapienza, Italy.
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Dell'Anna
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Utzeri
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Sabatini
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Coluzzi
D000818:Animals; D002519:Ceratopogonidae / Q000502:physiology; D004463:Ecology; D005260:Female; D007313:Insecta / Q000469:parasitology; D007558:Italy