Midge (insect)

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Midges on a car

Midges are small, two-winged flying insects. Midges are a subgroup of gnats, and comprise several families of Diptera, including especially the Chironomidae, or non-biting midges, and the Ceratopogonidae or biting midges (also known as no-see-ums in North America).

Biting midges fly in swarms and usually don't stray too far from their breeding grounds. Females feed on blood for protein to produce eggs. Males only feed on nectar.

Midges are important for the pollination of cocoa.

The orange wheat blossom midge is a pest in cereal grains and is a standard research animal used for the testing of pesticides.

The Highland midge is found in large numbers in the Scottish Highlands. They are famously vicious and have become something of a cultural icon in Scotland. They were also a favourite subject of author Vladimir Nabokov. Irish midges have a similarly fearsome reputation.

George Hendry, writer of Midges in Scotland, looks specifically into the biology of midges and why they bite.

Midges are at their worst on still, damp cloudy days. They do not like direct sunlight or high winds because their flight speed is less than human walking pace. This is why midges cannot immediately follow a person when running, although they can quickly gather again if a person stops moving.

Regional terminology in Northern Ohio for the non-biting species includes "muffleheads" and "muckleheads".