European Odonata as hosts ofForcipomyia paludis(Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

Abstract

The biting midge Forcipomyia (Pterobosca) paludis is the only ceratopogonid species known to parasitise Odonata imagines in Europe. In this study, based mainly on the analysis of about 200 photographically documented cases, data on host species, parasite load and undisturbed position on the odonate body were analysed. The list of hitherto known hosts is extended significantly to include 55 Odonata species. The records date from mid-May to the beginning of August. Most data originate from southern France, Switzerland, Austria and Germany, with a few from Sweden and Croatia. Only females of F. paludis were found on Odonata, attached to both sides of the wings with a preference for their basal half, and mostly facing the wing base. In Calopteryx spp. the midges were likewise present on the wing tips. In a few cases midges were also found on the odonate's thorax and abdomen.

Morphological adaptations of the mouthparts to the ectoparasitic lifestyle of the biting midge Forcipomyia paludis (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), specialized in Odonata

“…On photographs taken under natural conditions most female individuals of Forcipomyia paludis are located and positioned on the dragonflies' wings as described in earlier studies (e.g., Martens et al 2007;Manger 2021). Obviously, the body posture and the slightly tilted head position allow an easier piercing of the vein at its lateral base (cf.…”

“…Field observations and in situ photography, focused on various odonate species infested with Forcipomyia paludis (Macfie 1936), were conducted in southern France (Saint-Martin-de-Crau), Switzerland (Uster, Hinwil) and Georgia (Sartichala), at localities where infested odonates had been known (Martens et al 2007;Wildermuth 2012;Wildermuth et al 2019). Samples of F. paludis specimens attached to wing fragments of Cordulegaster boltonii (Donovan, 1807) were air-dried.…”

“…Biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are well-known ectoparasites with a wide spectrum of different hosts, such as mammals, birds and various arthropods including damselflies and dragonflies (Odonata) (Macfie 1932;Borkent and Dominiak 2020). One of the worldwide more than 6000 described species, females of the West Palaearctic Forcipomyia (Pterobosca) paludis (Macfie 1936), have exclusively specialized in odonates as hosts (e.g., Martens et al 2007). This tiny fly is generally attached to the odonate's wings, clinging firmly to the wing membrane with the tarsi and inserting the short proboscis into the veins or the membranes of the wing bases (Wildermuth and Martens 2007).…”

“…Field studies on infested males of the large dragonfly Cordulegaster boltonii (Donovan, 1807) have shown that the midges remain firmly attached to the host's wings during various flight maneuvers, obviously due to highly specialized micromorphological attachment devices on the tarsi, especially on the empodium (Gorb et al 2022). The position of the midges near the wing base and on the lower veins of the corrugated wing may further help to reduce the drag during the host's flight (Martens et al 2007;Manger 2021). In addition, we suppose that, during suction feeding, the mouthparts would reinforce the attachment of the midge to its host.…”

The first record of parasitism by Forcipomyia (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in Cuban odonates

“…Some other species placed in different subgenera of Forcipomyia are also found on wings of odonates (Borkent, 2012). In Europe, Forcipomyia paludis is known to attack more than 70 species of dragonflies (Martens et al, 2007;Vinko et al, 2017;Cordero-Rivera et al, 2019). In Asia, there are several species associated to odonates like F. latipes, F. fidens (Macfie, 1936a), F. aerobates (Macfie, 1936b), F. tokunagai (Naraoka, 1999) and F. debenhamae (Orr and Cranston, 1997), and a review of pictures of odonates from Cambodia revealed a high incidence of one unidentified species of Forcipomyia (Kosterin et al, 2012).…”