Biting Midge

Order/family: Diptera

Scientific Name: Ceratopogonidae

Adults are gray and less than 1/8-inch long. The two wings possess dense hairs and give rise to pigmentation patterns. These wing patterns are used to identify species. The large compound eyes are more or less contiguous above the bases of the 15-segmented antennae. The mouthparts are well-developed with cutting teeth on elongated mandibles in the proboscis, adapted for blood-sucking in females, but not in males. The thorax extends slightly over the head, and the abdomen is nine-segmented and tapered at the end.