Gnat
Encyclopedia
A gnat is any of many species of tiny flying insect
s in the Dipterid
suborder Nematocera
, especially those in the families Mycetophilidae
, Anisopodidae
and Sciaridae
.
In British English the term applies particularly to Nematocerans of the family Culicidae. The common gnat is the species Culex pipiens
.
Male gnats often assemble in large mating swarms or ghosts, particularly at dusk.
Gnat larvae are mostly free-living and some are aquatic
. Many feed on plants, though some are carnivorous. Larva
l plant feeders (such as the Hessian fly
larva) cause root, stem, or leaf gall
s to be formed by the host plant. Some species of fungus gnat
s (families Mycetophilidae
and Sciaridae
) are pests of mushroom
s and roots of potted plants in homes and greenhouse
s.
Some South America
n Pleurothallid
orchids are pollinated by tiny gnats and have correspondingly small flower
s.
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s in the Dipterid
Diptera
Diptera , or true flies, is the order of insects possessing only a single pair of wings on the mesothorax; the metathorax bears a pair of drumstick like structures called the halteres, the remnants of the hind wings. It is a large order, containing an estimated 240,000 species, although under half...
suborder Nematocera
Nematocera
Nematocera , is a suborder of elongated flies with thin, segmented antennae and mostly aquatic larvae, consisting of the mosquitoes, crane flies, gnats, and midges....
, especially those in the families Mycetophilidae
Mycetophilidae
Mycetophilidae is a family of small flies, forming the bulk of those species known as fungus gnats. There are approximately 3000 described species in 150 genera but the true number of species is undoubtedly much higher...
, Anisopodidae
Anisopodidae
Anisopodidae is a small cosmopolitan family of gnat-like flies known as wood gnats or window-gnats with 154 described extant species in 15 genera, and several described fossil taxa. Some species are saprophagous or fungivorous. They are mostly small to medium-sized flies, except the genera...
and Sciaridae
Sciaridae
Sciaridae is a family of flies, commonly known as dark-winged fungus gnats. Commonly found in moist environments, they are known to be a pest of mushroom farms and are commonly found in household plant pots. This is one of the least studied of the large Diptera families, probably due to the small...
.
In British English the term applies particularly to Nematocerans of the family Culicidae. The common gnat is the species Culex pipiens
Culex pipiens
Culex pipiens is a species of blood-feeding mosquito of the family Culicidae. It is a vector of some diseases, such as Japanese encephalitis, meningitis, Urticaria...
.
Male gnats often assemble in large mating swarms or ghosts, particularly at dusk.
Gnat larvae are mostly free-living and some are aquatic
Aquatic insects
Aquatic insects live some portion of their life cycle in the water. They feed in the same ways as other insects. Some diving insects, such as predatory diving beetles, can hunt for food underwater where land-living insects cannot compete.-Breathing:...
. Many feed on plants, though some are carnivorous. Larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
l plant feeders (such as the Hessian fly
Hessian fly
The hessian fly or barley midge, Mayetiola destructor, is a species of fly that is a significant pest of cereal crops including wheat, barley and rye. Though a native of Asia it was transported into Europe and later into North America, supposedly in the straw bedding of Hessian troops during the...
larva) cause root, stem, or leaf gall
Gall
Galls or cecidia are outgrowths on the surface of lifeforms caused by invasion by other lifeforms, such as parasites or bacterial infection. Plant galls are abnormal outgrowths of plant tissues and can be caused by various parasites, from fungi and bacteria, to insects and mites...
s to be formed by the host plant. Some species of fungus gnat
Fungus gnat
Fungus gnats are small, dark, short-lived flies, of the families Sciaridae, Diadocidiidae, Ditomyiidae, Keroplatidae, Bolitophilidae and Mycetophilidae , sometimes placed in the superfamily Mycetophiloidea, whose larvae feed on plant roots or fungi and aid in the decomposition of organic matter...
s (families Mycetophilidae
Mycetophilidae
Mycetophilidae is a family of small flies, forming the bulk of those species known as fungus gnats. There are approximately 3000 described species in 150 genera but the true number of species is undoubtedly much higher...
and Sciaridae
Sciaridae
Sciaridae is a family of flies, commonly known as dark-winged fungus gnats. Commonly found in moist environments, they are known to be a pest of mushroom farms and are commonly found in household plant pots. This is one of the least studied of the large Diptera families, probably due to the small...
) are pests of mushroom
Mushroom
A mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source. The standard for the name "mushroom" is the cultivated white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus; hence the word "mushroom" is most often applied to those fungi that...
s and roots of potted plants in homes and greenhouse
Greenhouse
A greenhouse is a building in which plants are grown. These structures range in size from small sheds to very large buildings...
s.
Some South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
n Pleurothallid
Pleurothallidinae
The Pleurothallidinae are a neotropical subtribe of plants of the orchid family including 29 genera in more than 4000 species.Naturally occurring species of this subtribe are among the more popular orchids of horticulturalists, especially the genera Dracula, Dryadella, Masdevallia and...
orchids are pollinated by tiny gnats and have correspondingly small flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s.
See also
- Black flyBlack flyA black fly is any member of the family Simuliidae of the Culicomorpha infraorder. They are related to the Ceratopogonidae, Chironomidae, and Thaumaleidae. There are over 1,800 known species of black flies . Most species belong to the immense genus Simulium...
- Eye gnat
- Gnat bug
- Gall gnats
- Sand gnat
- Dark-winged fungus gnat
- No-see-um
- MidgeMidgeA midge is a very small, two-winged flying insect. "Midge" may also refer to:-Real:* Midge Costanza , American politician* Mildred Gillars , aka "Midge", American broadcaster of Nazi propaganda during World War II...
- MosquitoMosquitoMosquitoes are members of a family of nematocerid flies: the Culicidae . The word Mosquito is from the Spanish and Portuguese for little fly...
- SandflySandflythumb|Sandfly biting a human's little fingerthumb|Sandfly biteSandfly is a colloquial name for any species or genus of flying, biting, blood-sucking Dipteran encountered in sandy areas...