Midge

For other uses, see Midge (disambiguation).

Midges
A biting midge feeding on blood through an artificial membrane for insect rearing
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Diptera
Suborder:	Nematocera

Midges comprise many kinds of very small two-winged flies found world-wide. The term does not encapsulate a well-defined taxonomic group, but includes animals in several families of Nematoceran Diptera. While some midges are vectors for disease, many others play useful roles as prey items for insectivores, such as frogs. The habits of midges vary greatly among the component families, which include:^[1]

• Blephariceridae, net-winged midges
• Cecidomyiidae, gall midges
• Ceratopogonidae, biting midges (also known as no-see-ums or punkies in North America)
• Chaoboridae, phantom midges
• Chironomidae, non-biting midges (also known as muffleheads in the Great Lakes region of North America)
• Deuterophlebiidae, mountain midges
• Dixidae, meniscus midges
• Scatopsidae, dung midges
• Thaumaleidae, solitary midges

Disease-spreading midges

The Ceratopogonidae (biting midges) include serious blood-sucking pests, feeding both on humans and other mammals. Some of them spread the livestock diseases Blue Tongue and African Horse Sickness – other species however are at least partly nectar feeders and some actually suck insect bodily fluids.^[2]

Most other midge families are not bloodsuckers, but it is not possible to generalise rigidly because of the vagueness of the term "midge". There is for example no objective basis for excluding the Psychodidae from the list, and some of them (or midge-like taxa commonly included in the family, such as Phlebotomus) are blood-sucking pests and disease vectors.

Most midges, apart from the gall midges (Cecidomyiidae), are aquatic during the larval stage. Some Cecidomyiidae (e.g., the sorghum midge) are significant plant pests. The larvae of some Chironomidae contain haemoglobin and are sometimes referred to as bloodworms.^[3]

Midges on a car

See also

• Gnat
• Mosquito
• Highland midge

References

1. ^ Merritt, R.W., and Cummins, K.W. (eds.), 1996. An Introduction to the Aquatic Insects of North America. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company.
2. ^ Alan Weaving; Mike Picker; Griffiths, Charles Llewellyn (2003). Field Guide to Insects of South Africa. New Holland Publishers, Ltd. ISBN 1-86872-713-0. 
3. ^ Walker, I. R. 2001. Midges: Chironomidae and related Diptera. pp. 43-66, In: J. P. Smol, H. J. B. Birks, and W. M. Last (eds). Tracking Environmental Change Using Lake Sediments. Volume 4. Zoological Indicators. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht.

This article related to members of the insect order Diptera (true flies) is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.v · Categories: Diptera stubs Nematocera Pollinators Wikimedia Foundation. 2010. Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную? Luke Vercollone Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (album) Look at other dictionaries: Midge — Midge, n. [OE. migge, AS. mycge; akin to OS. muggia, D. mug, G. m[ u]cke, OHG. mucca, Icel. m?, Sw. mygga, mygg, Dan. myg; perh. named from its buzzing; cf. Gr. ? to low, bellow.] (Zo[ o]l.) [1913 Webster] 1. Any one of many small, delicate, long …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English Midge — (englisch Mücke) steht für Midge Ure (* 1953), britischer Rock Gitarrist, Sänger und Songschreiber Folland Midge, ein Jagdflugzeug Prototyp des britischen Herstellers Folland Aircraft Limited Diese Seite ist eine …   Deutsch Wikipedia midge — (n.) O.E. mygg, mycg gnat, from P.Gmc. *mugjon (Cf. Swed. mygga, O.S. muggia, M.Du. mugghe, Du. mug, O.H.G. mucka, Ger. Mücke midge, gnat ). No certain cognates beyond Germanic, unless doubtful Armenian mun gnat and Albanian mize gnat a …   Etymology dictionary midge — [mıdʒ] n [: Old English; Origin: mycg] a small flying insect that can bite people …   Dictionary of contemporary English midge — [ mıdʒ ] noun count a small fly that that bites people, and often lives near water …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English midge — ► NOUN 1) a small two winged fly that forms swarms near water, of which many kinds feed on blood. 2) informal a small person. ORIGIN Old English …   English terms dictionary midge — [mij] n. [ME migge < OE mycg, akin to Ger mücke < IE base * mu , echoic for fly, gnat > L musca, a fly] any of various families (esp. Chironomidae) of small, two winged, gnatlike dipteran insects, including the gall midges and biting… …   English World dictionary midge — /mij/, n. 1. any of numerous minute dipterous insects, esp. of the family Chironomidae, somewhat resembling a mosquito. Cf. gnat (def. 1). 2. a tiny person. [bef. 900; ME mygge, OE mycg(e); c. G Mücke, ON my; akin to Gk myîa, L musca fly] * * *… …   Universalium midge — mašalai statusas T sritis ekologija ir aplinkotyra apibrėžtis Dvisparnių būrio vabzdžių šeima (Simuliidae). Skiriama midge 500 rūšių (Lietuvoje midge 20). Paplitę visame pasaulyje. Kūnas 1,5–7 mm ilgio. Patinai minta augalų sultimis, patelės… …   Ekologijos terminų aiškinamasis žodynas midge — The smallest of the biting flies, in the genus Culicoides; swarms may attack humans and other animals; vectors of filarial infections. [O.E. mycg] * * * midge mij n any of numerous tiny dipteran flies (esp. families Ceratopogonidae, Cecidomyiidae …   Medical dictionary 18+ © Academic, 2000-2024 Contact us: Technical Support, Advertising Dictionaries export, created on PHP, Joomla, Drupal, WordPress, MODx. Mark and share Search through all dictionaries Translate… Search Internet Share the article and excerpts Direct link … Do a right-click on the link above and select “Copy Link”