Have you ever thought of a possibility that your bites are not caused by mosquitoes?

Mosquitoes in the summer are so annoying! They buzz around me in the middle of the night, and I try to wave them away, but they won't go away...

After being bitten, I had no choice but to use my fingernails to pinch a cross on the bag to relieve the pain.

But have you ever thought about a possibility - your bumps are not caused by mosquito bites.

1

Can a small bite result in a big harvest?

Who else could it be if not a mosquito? It could be a small bite!

"Xiaoyao" is a colloquial name for midges. In different dialects, midges have different names. In addition to "Xiaoyao", there are also common names such as "black mosquito" and "black mosquito". In biology, midges belong to the genus Ceratidae of the order Diptera.

midge

Image source: GBIF

Midges are small blood-sucking insects with a body length of 1 to 3 mm. When they grow up, they have a nearly round head and kidney-shaped compound eyes (and the compound eyes are very developed).

There is a pair of filamentous antennae on the top of the midge's head. Connected to the round head is its relatively short prothorax. Behind the prothorax is the mesothorax, which is very well developed. On the back of the mesothorax is a rounded back with a pair of short and wide wings covered with spots and fluff. Adult midges are usually black or brown.

There are many kinds of midges. In common parlance, all creatures belonging to the kingdom Animalia, phylum Arthropoda, class Insecta, order Diptera, family Ceratidae are called "midges" .

Blood-sucking midge

Image source: WIKI

There are many subdivided genera and species under the family Ceratidae. There are about 90 genera and 4,000 species of midges known worldwide, of which 38 genera and 320 species have been found in my country.

Non-blood-sucking midges

Image source: GBIF

Among them, there are three genera of midges that like to suck blood, namely Culicoides, Laercemidae and Lepidoptera. These three genera are biologically known as the three major blood-sucking midge genera.

2

What is the difference between a "small bite" and a mosquito?

Midges and mosquitoes are two different types of insects. The small bites caused by midges are different from those caused by mosquitoes.

After being bitten by a mosquito, if the human body is allergic to the mosquito's saliva, a large lump will grow at the bite, accompanied by extremely uncomfortable itching; if the human body is not allergic to the mosquito's saliva, a red spot will appear locally on the skin and will quickly disappear.

Slender mosquito

Image source: WIKI

After being bitten by a midge, the skin will develop red spots or urticaria-like bumps and blisters , accompanied by extreme itching. In addition, midges bite faster than mosquitoes, and their small size makes their bites more difficult to detect and prevent.

The small size of the midge is also a big difference between it and the mosquito. The body size of the midge and the mosquito is very different. The body size of the midge is only one-third of the mosquito's, and the limbs of the mosquito appear to be more slender and slender, while the limbs of the midge appear to be more stout and honest.

Stout midge

Image source: WIKI

There are also many differences between midges and mosquitoes in biology.

First of all, they have different biological classifications. Mosquitoes belong to the family Culicidae in the order Diptera, class Insecta, while midges belong to the family Ceratidae in the order Diptera, class Insecta.

Secondly, although both are Diptera insects, mosquitoes have significantly better flying ability than midges. The average flying ability of an adult mosquito can reach several kilometers, while very few midges can fly more than 500 meters.

Another point that is very important to humans is that the diseases they spread are different.

Blood-sucking parasites are the main transmission pathway for many human diseases.

Midges and mosquitoes are so numerous and love to suck human blood that they are killers to humans due to their ability to spread diseases. The diseases spread by midges and mosquitoes are not completely overlapping - mosquitoes mainly spread human diseases such as infectious encephalitis B, filariasis, yellow fever, Zika virus, dengue virus, etc.

In addition to transmitting some common human diseases (such as yellow fever and Japanese encephalitis), midges also spread viruses between humans and livestock .

According to research by Qingdao University and the Institute of Viral Diseases of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, there are as many as 35 types of viruses that can be transmitted between humans and animals, covering five viral families and seven viral genera, found in Culicoides, the species of midge that spreads the most diseases in the world.

These viruses can harm a wide range of areas, from bones and joints, spinal cord, visual system, reproductive system, to the nervous system and brain. In terms of human and animal diseases, midges pose a huge threat.

3

What should I do if I get bit by a "small bite"?

As mentioned earlier, the harm caused by midge bites is even greater than that caused by mosquito bites, so we should try our best to avoid being bitten by midges.

The vast majority of midge species suck blood during the day, at dawn or in the evening (which almost covers the main activity time of humans), and adult midges mostly live in bamboo forests, bushes, grass, caves and other places that are sheltered from wind and light.

Therefore, we should try to avoid moving between the habitats of these midges without wearing protective clothing and spraying insect repellents.

If you are unlucky enough to be bitten by a midge, doctors recommend that you wipe the red and swollen area with 10% alkaline water or ammonia water or cooling oil .

Next time you want to curse a mosquito, be sure to carefully check whether the instigator is a mosquito or a small bite~

Mosquito: "Wow, wow, I took a lot of blame for Xiaoyao~"

END

Review expert: Ran Hao, well-known popular science writer

Tadpole Musical Notation original article, please indicate the source when reprinting

Editor/Xiao Xitushuo