Midges (Chironomids) are two-winged flies of the Nematocera (orlower Diptera). They look something like mosquitoes but do not havetheir nasty habit of biting! At rest they can be distinguished frommosquitoes by the raised front legs - mosquitoes raise their hindlegs. Like mosquitoes, the immatures of most chironomids areaquatic.

John Epler's site gives current information on the taxonomy anddistribution of these wonderful groups of insects in Florida andelsewhere.

One of the new endemic species of Jamaica is describedbelow:

Monopelopia mikeschwartzi Epler, n.sp.

Type locality: JAMAICA: Trelawny Parish, Coffee Hill nearWindsor.
Type material: Holotype male, JAMAICA Trelawny Parish, Coffee Hillnear Windsor (77°41'15"W, 18°21'10"N), elevation about 198m, from phytotelmata in bromeliad Aechmea paniculigera,April 1995, leg. W. Janetzky. Allotype, female, same collectiondata. Paratypes: 2 males, one female, 4 pupal exuviae, 6 fourthinstar larvae, same collection data. Holotype and allotypedeposited in Florida State Collection of Arthropods housed atFlorida A&M University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA; paratypes insame collection, the Zoologische Staatssammlung, Munchen, Germany,and the senior author's collection.
Etymology: The new species is dedicated to Mr. Mike Schwartz,Windsor Great House, Jamaica, for his hospitality and friendshipduring the junior author's stay in Jamaica.
Diagnosis:
Adult males are distinguished by the long, pale preapical setae onpalpomere 2; abdominal tergites II-VI with broad basal brown band,T VII mostly brown with narrow pale apical band and T VIII pale;and gonostylus <100µm long.
Pupae are distinguished by the brown, patterned exuviae, thoracichorn with rounded apex and T VII usually with 2 lateral setae and 2tacniae on each side. Larvae are distinguished by the pale claws ofthe posterior parapods, with at least two small claws with 7-9large inner teeth and the lack of a small dark claw, and AR2.22-2.53. 
Male imago (n = 3; holotype and two paratypes).
Color: Head, dorsum of thorax and postnotum light brown, with lightbrown spot on anterior anepisternum and median anepisternum;scutellum pale; wings clothed with pale brown macrotrichia; legspale yellow-brown, with fore femora and tarsi light brown; abdomenwith tergite I pale, T II-V each with light brown band on basalhalf; T VI-VII mostly light brown with narrow apical pale band. TVIII pale, genitalia light brown.
Lengths: Total 2.08-2.54 mm; thorax 0.63-0.74 mm; abdomen 1.45-1.80mm.  
Head: Setae-temporals 8-10, uniserial, clypeals 15-17, antennalpedicel 3-4. Cibarial sensillae about 13 (n - 1). Lengths ofpalpomeres 1-5: 50-53; 55-65; 120-145; 120-130; 155-200. Palpomere2 with 5-6 long, pale, preapical setae (see Fig) AR 1.20-1.49.Dorsal eye extension 3 ommatidia wide.
Thorax: Setae-antepronotals 3-4; acrostichals 26-33, biserial;dorsocentrals 15-22, biserial anteriorly: prealars 5-6; scutellars6-8, partially biserial, supraalar 1.
Wing: Length 1.18-1.33 mm; width 0.35-0.45 mm. Brachiolum with 1large seta near base and 2 smaller distal setae. VR 0.96-1.00.
Legs: Weak tarsal beard on mid and hind legs, with preapical tarsalpseudospurs present on tarsomeres 1-3 on all legs; palmate sensillachaetica not present, but numerous blunt-tipped setae (sensillachaetica?) present on all tarsomeres. Tibial spur lengths: fore30-35; mid 43-50; hind 50. Hind tibia with weak comb of 5setae.
Lengths and proportions of legs (n = 1):

Hypopygium (seedrawing on right): T IX with one large seta on each side. Analpoint conical pointed. Length of gonocoxite 138-155; length ofgonostylus 85-93, HR 1.48-1.82.
Female imago (n = 2; allotype and paratype).
Color: Head, dorsum of thorax and postnotum light brown, with lightbrown spot on anterior anepisternum and median anepisternum;scutellum pale; wings clothed

Fourth Instar Larva (n = 3-5 paratypes).

Color: Head capsule pale yellow; antennae with pale yellow firstsegment, second pale yellow-brown in one specimen, pale yellow inother material; apical third of ligula light brown, apices of teethpaler: apex of mandible light yellow-brown; claws of anteriorparapod pale yellow-brown; claws of posterior parapod colorless topale yellow-brown.
Head: Head capsule length 0.51-0.53 mm; width 0.29 mm (n = 2).Antenna (see drawing) with segment 1 180-190 long, ring organ0.61-0.65 from base; segment 2 63-72: antennal blade 65-73 long; AR2.22-2.43. Maxillary palp (see drawing) length 30-32, width 9-11;length of antennal segment 2/length of the maxillary palp1.97-2.33. Mandible length 78-83. Pseudoradula (see drawing) slightlybroadened basallyy; Ligula (see drawing) 63-70 long, 28-30 maximumwidth; paraligula 29-32 long. Pecten hypopharyngis with 7-8teeth/side. Dorsal head capsule setae are arranged similarly tothose of M. boliekae as figured by Kowalyk (1985: fig. 117);ventral chaetotaxy is similar to that of M. boliekae inKowalyk's fig. 116, except that SS_M, VP and S10 lie in astraight line at a right angle to the longitudinal axis of the headcapsule, with VP placed directly caudad of S9.
Body: Procerci 57-60 long, 20 wide. Anal tubules 75-108 long, 15-25wide. Posterior parapod with large claws with fine inner and outerteeth, two smaller claws with 7-9 large inner teeth (seedrawing).

Roback (1986) provided the most recent review ofMonopelopia for the New World; M. mikeschwartzibelongs to his M. tenuicalcar group. Monopelopiamikeschwartzi is very similar to M. tillandsia Beck andBeck morphologically and in choice of habitats; both are denizensof phytotelmata.
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