The Midge is a non-biting midge whose adults form vast mating swarms — pillars of thousands of individuals — near water bodies at dusk. Adults do not bite and live only a few days. Its bright red larva (the bloodworm) lives in oxygen-poor sediments, using hemoglobin to survive — one of few insects with true hemoglobin.
Habitat
Ponds, lakes, slow rivers, and standing water
Diet
Larvae: algae and organic detritus in sediment. Adults: do not feed
How common
Common
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