SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 18 (5) 2005 54 A mong the less-appreciated species in the rich biological diversity of the Sonoran Desert are a variety of tiny blood-sucking flies, known variously as midges, gnats, or jejenes. While some beach lovers may swear that their own bodies form the most popular attraction for such creatures, the natural world is somewhat more complex. Midges in the family Ceratopogonidae are known from many places on the planet, including beaches in Jamaica, California, France, and Russia, with many having a larval phase in sandy soil (Wirth and Atchley 1973). Mammals and birds are common hosts for blood-feeding midges, but they are also known to bite turtles and lizards (Mullens et al. 1997). Blood feeding by the midge Leptoconops (Brachyconops) californiensis Wirth & Atchley on desert lizards has been reported for five lizard species: Zebra-tailed Lizard (Callisaurus draconoides), Coachella Valley Fringe-toed Lizard (Uma inornata), Yuman Desert Fringe-toed Lizard (U. rufopunctata), Mojave Fringe-toed Lizard (U. scoparia), and Flat-tailed Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma mcallii; Mullens et al. 1997). The range of L. californiensis has been reported to include desert sand dunes in central and southern California, and in northwestern Sonora, Mexico (Wirth and Atchley 1973, Mullens et al. 1997). We report here on finding L. californiensis in Arizona, feeding on two new lizard host species. Observations were made in the Mohawk sand dunes of southwestern Arizona (32°35’N, 113°45’W), on 24-25 April, 1999. Lizards were captured using a noose and detained briefly before release at the capture site, as part of a long-term herpetological study. Midges were removed from the lizards using tweezers and placed into 100% EtOH for later study. All were deposited in the University of Arizona entomology collection. Leptoconops californiensis females were captured off the bodies of four Uma rufopunctata, two Desert Iguanas (Dipsosaurus dorsalis), and one Desert Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma platyrhinos). All the lizards were adults, and all midges were observed on dorsal surfaces of the lizards, ranging from top of the head to proximal portion of the tail. The midges clung tightly to the lizards until captured and appeared to be biting them, though not all midges captured were engorged with blood. Up to three midges were observed on individual lizards, though some midges took flight and were thus lost during capture of the lizards. These specimens of L. californiensis are the first collected in Arizona, to our knowledge. While habitat requirements for the species are not known, previous records are all from desert dune systems. The dune field closest to the Mohawk dunes and known to have L. californiensis is the Gran Desierto of Sonora, Mexico, ca. 70 km (43 mi) to the south (Mullens et al. 1997). Acknowledgments Acknowledgments Acknowledgments Acknowledgments Acknowledgments Midge identification was confirmed by Frank Ramberg, University of Arizona. Field personnel during these observations included Dan Bell, Chip Hedgcock, Dave Prival, Phi Pham, and Don Swann. Literature Cited Literature Cited Literature Cited Literature Cited Literature Cited Mullens, B. A., C. Barrows, and A. Borkent. 1997. Mullens, B. A., C. Barrows, and A. Borkent. 1997. Mullens, B. A., C. Barrows, and A. Borkent. 1997. Mullens, B. A., C. Barrows, and A. Borkent. 1997. Mullens, B. A., C. Barrows, and A. Borkent. 1997. Lizard feeding by Leptoconops (Brachyconops) californiensis (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) on N A T U R A L H I S T O R Y N O T E Blood-feeding Midges in Arizona: New Lizard Hosts and Range Extension for Leptoconops californiensis Dale S. Turner 1 and Carl Olson 2 1 The Nature Conservancy, 1510 E. Fort Lowell Road, Tucson, Arizona 85719. dturner@tnc.org 2 Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721 Figure 2. The midge Leptoconops californiensis. Photo by Carl Olson. Figure 1. Desert Iguana ( Dipsosaurus dorsalis). Photo by Dale Turner.