How long do midges live? Habitat

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:48

The black midge is a humpback mosquito that is less than 6 mm long. It differs from a real mosquito in shorter legs and a trunk. The wings of an insect in a calm state are stacked one on top of the other, and its antennae have 11 segments.

What are midges

Before we find out how long midges live, let's take a closer look at their lifestyle. These little mosquitoes are happy to attack livestock, humans and wild animals. Their favorite places are near water bodies, where the larvae of these insects develop.

How the female lays her eggs

Experiencing complete comfort in the water, insects prefer to lay their eggs there. Clinging to stones and stems of plants, they calmly descend into the water and arrange incubators for their future offspring. However, not all types of females prefer this type of oviposition. Some drop them on the fly, while others choose coastal quiet areas for masonry. Moreover, all of them prefer to breed larvae not one by one, but in groups, eventually forming large colonies of embryos. On an area of 1 cm² there are up to 200 born individuals. In general, how many midges live, so many of them lastreproduction.

How midges eat

If you look at such an individual as a midge under a microscope, you can see its short proboscis, well adapted for puncturing the skin surfaces of animals. She does this with sawing mandibles and tearing maxillas. At first glance, it seems that her natural way of feeding is by sucking blood. However, this is not the case. As repeated studies show, female midges can only eat flower nectar.

Columbian midge

A real disaster for livestock breeders in the Danubian countries is the Columba midge. The pupation process of its larvae ends in May, and by the end of this month, all coastal green plantings are attacked by hordes of flying insects. When asked how long midges of this species live, it can be unequivocally said that after the process of fertilization, the males immediately die, and the females, literally brutalized, swarm the cattle grazing peacefully on the banks of the reservoirs.

Dangerous midge bites

These little insects look harmless, but in fact, nature has endowed these little predators with the ability of surgeons. A simple gnat bite can cause itching, burning, and even fever. But all these symptoms appear much later. First, saliva, which has an anesthetic property, is injected into the wound. During the bite, the pain initially disappears and reappears after the little predator has flown away. The liquid that has entered the wound from a bite is very poisonous: througha minute there is already growing swelling and excruciating severe itching. With multiple bites, body temperature may rise. If signs of general poisoning appear and severe swelling of the internal organs begins, a lethal outcome is not ruled out. Also, the company of flying gnats is a carrier of various infectious diseases, such as plague, ulcers, leprosy, and so on. How many midges live is a rhetorical question. They fly and breed as long as the environment meets their daily life requirements. In order for females not to be left without their offspring, it is vital for them to feed on blood. So, whether we like it or not, we cannot change the biological process. But it is simply necessary to beware of their bites.