2006-08-17 07:45:52 · 5 answers · asked by T N 3 in Home & Garden ➔ Other - Home & Garden
The most common midge species in Scotland is the Highland Biting Midge- Culicoides impunctatus, accounting for 70-95% of biting attacks on humans.
Being a member of Order diptera (literally meaning 2 sets of wings). Midges have are an r-selected species meaning that they have a quick life cycle. In essence a female midge will hatch out of her own egg, mate and then lay eggs of her own, these eggs remain dormant until the following summer. Before the female can lay any more eggs she must mate and then feed on vertebrate blood, she she does this by having a specially adapted mandible that allows her to pierce skin. She can lay up to 4 egg batches of 300 eggs in this fashion. For her 6th and final egg batch, she does not require a blood meal prior to oviposition.
Male midges are completely harmless and do not bite. In essence they are sperm donors!
As soon as the female has laid her final egg batch she will die. Depending on how quickly she mates this could be as little as 6-12 weeks, sooner if she hits your windscreen
2006-08-17 08:03:42 · answer #1 · answered by Libby 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
About as ling as Mungo.
2006-08-17 14:51:12 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
if i remember right about 24 hours
2006-08-17 14:56:45 · answer #3 · answered by silver_hawk_64 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
About one second if it bites me...........SPLAT
2006-08-17 14:52:28 · answer #4 · answered by pebs 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
too ******* long
2006-08-17 14:53:49 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋