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In May 2005 I photographed this Sphinx Moth (genus Darapsa) in West Virginia, USA. Later I noticed there was a tiny fly, maybe Chironomidae, on the moth's wing.

Is this just a case of a fly that happened to come to rest on the moth's wing? Or this there likely to be something more going on?

Help figuring this out would be appreciated.

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Indeed, looks like a female Chironomid midge.

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Ah well if it is a Chironomid then I guess it wasn't feeding on the moth's wing. I seem to remember reading somewhere about a dipteran that did specialize in feeding on moths, but maybe it was just a dream.

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No, you weren't dreaming. Several species of Forcipomyia and Atrichopogon (Ceratopogonidae) feed from the wing veins of moths, dragonflies and other large insects, while others feed on the haemolymph of beetles, etc.
In this case, it's difficult to see whether it's a chironomid or ceratopogonid. I would expect the front legs to be shorter if it was a ceratopogonid. Also it's not a good place on the wing to find a decent sized vein, so I suspect this is just a chironomid that has come to light along with the moth. B)

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Xespok, Tony, thanks for commenting. If I see anything like this again, I will get a closer shot. As it was, I didn't see the midge until a couple of days after I took the picture. Too late!

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Compare this image with yours. Mine shows a Ceratopogonid fly on the wing of a moth sucking haemolymph from one of the veins of the wing.

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Well, as you can see, the legs in that specimen are much shorter. The length of the legs and the way they are held make me think of Chironomidae.

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Wow, Xespok, great photo! It is always nice when photos show something interesting that is behavioral.

Thanks, everyone, for commenting.