These bugs are also known as no-see-ums, punkies, five-O’s, and moose flies but they all belong
to the same family of insects. They get these common names from their biting behavior. The name
‘no-see-um' comes from their tiny stature. The largest no-see-ums top the charts at two tenths of
an inch (5mm). To put their size into perspective, smaller no-see-ums are approximately the same
length as a credit card is wide. When they bite a human, they’re often so small they can’t be seen.
The name ‘five-O’ comes from their 5pm appearance as they’re most active during twilight hours.
Currently, there are over 4,000 classified biting midge species. These flies live
globally with the exceptions of Antarctica, and some oceanic islands. They prefer tropical and
subtropical environments, and they live as low as sea level or as high as mountains.
The adults gravitate to swamps, streams, coastlines, and other aquatic environments.
The larvae live in moist soils, decaying vegetation, or may be fully aquatic.
Not all biting midges bite people. Just like mosquitos,
only female no-see-ums need to consume blood in order to provide nutrition for their eggs.
Males and females can be told apart from one another by looking at their antennae. Males have
fuzzy antennae while females are smooth. Both males and females consume sugars in the form
of nectar from flowers. This is beneficial to people as they help pollinate plants such as
cacao and rubber trees. Females only bite when they need proteins to produce a clutch of eggs.
A biting midge’s life cycle begins as an egg. A female no-see-um will provide for her eggs by
drinking the blood or protein rich fluids of other animals. These can include humans, other mammals,
reptiles, birds, and other insects like katydids. They bite via teeth-like projections on their
proboscis. Their saliva prevents blood from clotting which results in a small blood
droplet from which the female feeds. The whole process can take up to five minutes. In humans,
their bite forms an itchy welt and they can also transmit nematodes to uninfected individuals.
In livestock, biting midges transmit bluetongue disease, which can cause fever and lead to death.
Of course, that’s not their goal in biting, really they’re just trying to provide for their young.
Biting midges undergo complete metamorphosis. A female may lay anywhere from 25 to 450 eggs
per clutch and can lay up to seven clutches over the course of her life. These eggs are deposited
either in water or on moist surfaces. Larvae hatch anywhere from two to ten days later. Biting midge
larvae eat algae, plant material, nematodes, and other insect larvae. Depending on the size of
the meal, the larvae may eat their meals whole or burrow in and eat the insides. Larvae born
towards the end of the season overwinter to hatch later the following year in spring or summer,
these live longer than those born at the beginning of the season. Overall, the larva
stage may last anywhere from two weeks to almost a year depending on the species and location
and the midges will go through four instars, or molts, before reaching the pupal stage.
The pupal stage is short, lasting two to three days. After this, a biting midge will enter the
adult stage which lasts a few weeks. During this time they’ll eat, breed, and perish shortly after.
If they can avoid predators that is! Biting midges are consumed by fish and other aquatic predators.
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