#klamath midge

[onenicebugperday]

@bgs-cave-o-thots submitted: Hi! This isn't an ID request, I just wanted to talk about a bug phenomenon that happens near where I live. I remember being shocked when I was younger and learned that this doesn't happen everywhere, and I think that's what gave me a fascination for these bugs instead of only seeing them as a nuisance.

I've no clue what the scientific name is, but I see them called the Klamath Midge after where they're primarily found (Klamath County, Oregon). They're small, bright green, non-biting midges, and when they're in season they make dense swarms that can be the size of city blocks. People have to sweep them off windowsills and porches every morning or they'll pile up, because they only live for I think a couple days. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of my own to demonstrate the sheer amount of the lil guys there are, but if you google "klamath midge" there's plenty of images that give you an idea.

I also have a question about these midges that I was wondering if you or your followers might be able to answer. I've lived with these things coming out every year for most of my life but no one I've ever asked knew the answer for sure: what do these guys eat? Or do they even eat as adults at all??

Hello! Klamath midges are non-biting midges in the genus Chironomus. Sounds like utahensis is the exact species. Midge larvae are aquatic and feed on algae and other organic detritus. The adults were once thought not to eat at all, but apparently newer research says they feed sparingly on things like nectar, pollen, and honeydew. But you're right, they only live a couple of days! Just long enough to mate.

I couldn't find any creative commons photos of the swarms to share, but I do think it's worth googling for those who are curious! That's a lot of bugs.

[howgaytobequeer]

The fact that, as of this writing, our little greenie midgies (Chironomus utahensis, known locally as Klamath midges, little green bugs, and greenies/greenie midges) have no Wikipedia or iNaturalist IDs is gobsmacking to me.

They are a yearly seasonal Event. Not loud like the cicadas back east, no harbingers of doom like locust swarms; just swarms of tiny harmless green midges that spend their larval form in the lake, then rise up in huge swarms for that short-lived midge adulthood before the cycle continues.

They're considered a pest as there are so many that they gum up car windshields and so small that they easily slip through window screens that keep out other insects, but on the other hand they are completely harmless to humans and have a uniquely vibrant green colour that sets them apart from other midges. I always like seeing them around every year.

Perhaps I will catch some this year and take their portraits. In the meantime, you can read a bit more about them here.

[nunoxaviermoreira]

Tundra Swans ~ Original Tanka Poem by Johnrw1491 Lower Klamath Marsh February Chinook: Buffleheads jet down raceways Pintails cloak the fields Teals swarm as thick as midges Tundra Swans arrive in waves http://ift.tt/2BIEJpk