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Flying Insects that Bite

Insects are animals whose bodies have three segments, a head, a thorax and an abdomen. They have three pairs of jointed legs and a pair of antennae. Insects have an exoskeleton, a hard outer shell that offers protection and support. Insects are a class of arthropods. Some insects have wings on their thorax that allow them to fly. Flying insects include ants, bee, butterflies, flies, gnats and mosquitoes. Some flying insects will bite humans and animals, primarily to get nutrients from blood.

  1. Mosquito

    • Mosquitoes are small, flying insects found throughout the world. They have mouth parts that are designed for piercing the skin of animals as well as plants. Only the female mosquito seeks out an animal host, because she needs to gain nutrients from blood to produce eggs.

      The bite of a mosquito results in a red, raised bump with the surrounding skin appearing red and blotchy. Itching is the most common side effect from a mosquito bite, although a mosquito bite in some parts of the world can have more serious side effects. Female mosquitoes are the primary hosts and transmitters of malaria.

    Gnat

    • Gnats are tiny, flying insects that are also called blackflies or midges. Gnats are found worldwide and lay their eggs near water. Gnats require the blood of an animal host to survive. Typically gnats will crawl under clothing or into hair to bite. The bite from a gnat can become painful and usually results in swelling and itching at the site of the bite.

    Horsefly and Deerfly

    • Horseflies and deerflies are two of the most common flies belonging to the Tabanidae family of insects. They are found worldwide and the deer fly is the smaller of the two. Only the female fly will bite because she requires blood from an animal host to reproduce. The bite of these flies can be very painful because they have knifelike jaws that slice open the skin of the host. The bite of a horsefly or deerfly can result in a hard, red, itchy lump that may take weeks to heal completely.

    Black Fly

    • More than 1,800 species of black flies exist worldwide. This small, flying insect needs blood from an animal host in addition to nectar for its survival. The bite of a black fly initially appears as a small, red dot surrounded by a swollen area. Over the next few days it can become very irritated, itchy and swollen. The black fly can carry and transmit many diseases to its animal host including typhoid, dysentery and river blindness.

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