Midges, also known as gnats and no-see-ums, have a short life cycle, but spend their last few days focused solely on rapid and massive reproduction, ensuring there is never a shortage of their kind during warm summer months.
Time Flies
Midges have a total life span of a little over one month, but are adults capable of flight for only a short portion of that time. Midges hatch from eggs as small rice-shaped larvae. They spend about four weeks as larvae, living mostly in water and mud, and eating organic debris such as plankton and algae, although the exact amount of time can vary depending on the type of midge and environmental conditions. At the end of this time, the larvae become pupae as they make the transition to adulthood. The pupal stage lasts about 48 hours. During this time, midges live in the water. At the end of the pupal stage, the adult emerges and almost immediately swarms with other midges to reproduce and begin the cycle again.
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