In the north there is no beast more terrible than the midge. Their bite is much worse than a mosquito's (6 photos)

Why are they so dangerous and indestructible?





The tundra is a real kingdom of flies.

Northerners know: there is no beast in the tundra more terrible than the midge. But this does not mean that life is much easier for residents of other regions of our country. Midges are ubiquitous and indestructible. They continuously storm clothing and shelters. As soon as they find the slightest gap in the armor, they will begin to bite, covering the body with painful blisters. Why are these little insects so annoying?



So small, but so many problems...

First of all, they are insanely prolific. Any stream is an almost endless source of flies. Up to 40 insects per square centimeter live at its bottom. During the season it manages to grow from 3 to 16 generations. Calculate the final numbers yourself. I'm too scared to know them.

In addition, these insects are not only numerous, but also very diverse. At the moment, humanity knows about 2,300 species of midges, adapted to a wide variety of conditions - from semi-deserts to tundra swamps. And only 39 of them are not interested in blood in any form.





Important! Midges are a specific family of dipterans, which does not include all small flies. Drosophila, for example, have nothing to do with them.

The rest drink blood to replenish their protein supply. One thing is good: males do not need blood. They live no more than 3 days and spend all this time reproducing. Females can also avoid bloodshed by eating a diet of flower nectar. But such vegans will not be able to lay eggs.



To say that midge eggs are microscopic is an understatement.

Therefore, insects are always happy to have guests with blood flowing in their veins. They detect their presence by smell and warmth. But animals are not happy with such company. Compared to midges, mosquitoes are very delicate and elegant insects, because they carefully pierce the skin down to the capillaries. Midges do not reach the blood ducts, so they act roughly: they bite the skin, cut it with sharp mouth appendages similar to scissors, and plunge a proboscis with two channels inside. One of the tubules is used to suck out blood, and the other is needed to infuse saliva with a bunch of enzymes into the victim.



A midge and its mouthparts in cross-section.

Fly saliva is more effective than mosquito saliva. It has a strong anticoagulant and analgesic effect. But its effectiveness has a side effect: the victim’s body reacts much more sharply to foreign proteins, provoking a more powerful allergic reaction. Usually it has a local scale, but if there are too many bites (several hundred), the protective mechanism can spread to the entire body and cause simulidotoxicosis - severe poisoning that can lead to death.



Like it if you also like to walk in the forest without dichlorvos.

Therefore, if you have not yet been afraid of midges, now is the time to start. In addition to allergies, midges carry dangerous viruses and even parasite eggs with them. Fortunately, not in our latitudes. Such dangerous insects live only in humid tropical climates, closer to the equator.