[pct-l] blood sucking mosquitoes

[Keith Kurko]

With all due respect Danny, the reason those "early season mosquito swarms"
in the air are ignoring you is that they are not mosquitoes.  The swarms you
are referring to are non-biting midges scientifically known as chironomids.
Their larvae are aquatic and they live in the mud on the bottom of lakes and
sluggish streams.  Chironomids do not possess the necessary piercing mouth
parts to puncture skin and bite people, even if they wanted to (and they
have no interest).  And mosquitoes do not swarm together randomly in the
air.  They swarm around people and other warm blooded prey.


Chironomids are related to mosquitoes and at first glance look a lot like
them.  But closer examination reveals they are different.

Here is a photo of a male chironomid with his feathery or plumose antennae:
http://ketenewplymouth.peoplesnetworknz.info/image_files/0000/0001/2894/chir
onomus_zealandicus__common_midge-2.JPG

Here is a female chironomid:
http://www.davidkennardphotography.com/photos/829-Chironomid-fly.xhtml


And here is a female mosquito with her prominent proboscis for biting.  That
is the most distinguishing and easiest physical difference to discern.  
http://static.ddmcdn.com/gif/mosquito6a.jpg


I am less certain about the identity of the insects that Shepherd is
referring to in her tent.  But I suspect they are mosquitoes because
chironomids have absolutely no interest in associating with humans.  If that
is the case, I would recommend trying to nail them before you fall asleep
because they may nail you when you are asleep!


If you are interested in a little more natural history info see here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chironomidae


K2 in Seattle



Message: 4
Date: Sat, 06 Apr 2013 13:44:53 -0700
From: Danny Wormington <dannywormington at gmail.com>
Subject: [pct-l] blood sucking mosquitoes
To: pct-l at backcountry.net

In the early season you can sometimes walk through mosquito swarms and they
completely ignore you.  I think it is because they are just in their mating
mode.  The females don't seem to be interested in blood sucking until they
are fertile.

Danny Wormington


On Fri, Apr 5, 2013 at 9:38 AM,<aslive at charter.net>  wrote:

> I'm wondering if anyone else has had this experience.  Several times
> while camped in my Gatewood Cape, Mosquitos would enter.  They did not
> bite me or even brother me.  They all flew up to the top of my shelter
> and landed on the inside of the shelter walls where they appeared to be
> content to just hang out.  Perhaps they were attracted to the defused
> light through the walls?  I find it a good place to sleep, maybe they do
> too.  Does anyone who knows what this behavior is all about want to fill
> me?  Thanks.

>> Shepherd