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Animal profile

Non-biting midge

InsectaFresh and brackish water of almost every kind, from lake sediment to rock pools and wet moss

Field profile

Chironomid midges are mosquito-like flies that do not bite. The aquatic larvae are among the most abundant invertebrates in fresh water and are a major food for fish and waterbirds. Adults emerge in large synchronised swarms and usually live only a few days.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2025-04-16

Non-biting midge

Midge larvae carry haemoglobin in their blood

The red bloodworms sold as fish food are chironomid larvae, and the colour is real haemoglobin dissolved in their body fluid. It lets them keep taking up oxygen in lake sediment where almost nothing else with a similar demand can survive.

Read with evidence →

Non-biting midge | Daily Animal Facts