In honor of the post from Beth Kovach regarding the mite infested mosquitoes, the word of the week is:
Phoresy- "hitching a ride" on another organism.
This is seen with flower mites hitching a ride on bees as they move from flower to flower. Mosquitoes aren't often in the conversation about pollination but they feed on nectar and as they move from nectary to nectary, pollination is likely taking place.
The interaction surrounding phoresy requires certain criteria to be met. Firstly, a sufficient size difference between hitchhiker and carrier is necessary. Secondly, there must be value to the rider in moving from one habitat to another and that it is a reliable means of transport. For more on this interesting topic, have a look at the article below.
Renee M Borges, Phoresy Involving Insects as Riders or Rides: Life History, Embarkation, and Disembarkation, Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 2022;, saab051, https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/saab051