Photograph by Ed T. Schmidtmann, USDA/ARS

Other common names: sand flies*, no-see-ums, punkies

Midges fall into two categories: biting, and non-biting.

As their names imply, some do not bite humans. These non-biting midges lack the mouthparts to do so, and only superficially look like mosquitoes.

Biting midges, on the other hand, are extremely pestiferous and a major nuisance. They are hard to see with the naked eye, and their bites often lead to large painful welts that can persist for days or weeks. 

*Despite midges often being called sand flies, there is another species of insect that is a true sand fly. They belong to different families in the animal kingdom. Find the True Sand Flies section below!

Photograph by Carly Dufficy, Sarasota County Mosquito Management

Other common names: mosquito-hawk, mosquito-eater

If you've ever seen a crane fly, you may have thought it was a giant mosquito leftover from prehistoric times. These intimidating insects are harmless to humans, and their larvae can eat other aquatic larvae which makes them beneficial. Known as mosquito-eaters, they don't actually eat mosquitoes (at least as adults).

In fact, the only time they feed is during their larval stage - most species of crane flies lose their mouthparts before reaching adulthood! They then only survive a few days at that point. 

Photograph by Lyle J. Buss, University of Florida

Other common names: sewer fly, bathroom fly, filter fly, moth fly, moth midge

Drain flies are another harmless species of insect that get a bad reputation. While they don't bite, most people find them dislikable because they invade our homes from our drains, sinks, and even toilets. They may be mistaken for a mosquito due to it's small size, but have a more moth-like appearance. 

Photograph by Jerry Butler, University of Florida

Other common names: sand gnat, granny nipper, chitra, sand flea 

 As mentioned in the midge section, true sand flies are often mistaken for biting midges as well as several other species of insect, although they are in different families of the animal kingdom. 

Some insects have the word "gnat" in their name, such as the fungus gnat, but often the term is used to describe any number of small flying insects. 

A biting midge may be called a gnat, but so can fruit flies, drain flies, or other small pests. 

As the term is used so broadly, it is difficult to accurately describe all possible "gnat" species. Many "gnat" insects come from habitats that hold moisture and organic material, such as: sewars, pipes and drains, damp soil, planters, manure, etc.