Actually it is a generic name for any tiny flying insect. So small you can't see them as in "no see them"
The image above shows one of them less that 1/8" in length.
Our noseeums are midges. There are thousands of types of midges and most don't bite but ours do.
Its a pretty painful bite too. Much worse than a mosquito for example. A mosquito has a hypodermic like snout and the ability to spray a numbing chemical on your skin before going in for a drink. The midge on the other hand has only a set of mandibles like pliers to chew out some skin and inject an anticoagulant so the blood will flow out to them. They hurt big time and the anticoagulant keeps the bite itching for a long time. Longer if you keep scratching it.
The pioneers of Southern Utah gave the midges the name "cedar gnat" because they occurred in large numbers near the cedar trees. This is because they need moisture to hatch and trees protect the snows from melting rapidly. As the warmer weather comes in June they hatch beneath the trees in the moist soil and they do not venture more than ten meters from their hatching place. Out in the sage lands without trees they cannot be found in large numbers like in the forest.
I guess cedar gnat is a poor name for the biter. First of all there are no Cedar trees in southern Utah. The pioneers misnamed the Junipers and the bug is not even a gnat. But we will stick with cedar gnat anyway as "juniper midge" probably wont catch on.
No comments:
Post a Comment