Biting midges
Alternative name/s:
Sand flies, Biting gnats, No-see-ums, Punkies
Sand flies, Biting gnats, No-see-ums, Punkies
Click to enlarge image
CBCR Pilbara Biodiversity Project Coleoptera voucher specimens. Biting Midges.
Image: Scott Ginn
© Australian Museum
© Australian Museum
Fast Facts
-
Classification
- Family
- Ceratopogonidae
- Order
- Diptera
- Class
- Insecta
- Subphylum
- Uniramia
- Phylum
- Arthopoda
- Kingdom
- Animalia
-
- Size Range
- 0.5 mm
Introduction
So tiny that they often go unobserved, biting midges are the smallest of the blood-sucking flies.
Habitat
Biting midges live around freshwater creeks, intertidal estuaries and mangroves.
Distribution
Biting midges are found throughout Australia.
Distribution data sourced from the Atlas of Living Australia
Feeding and diet
As with mosquitoes and most biting flies, it is only the females that bite as they need blood to produce the next generation. The males feed on nectar. Victims are usually unaware of the fly's presence until it has already started to feed.
