biting midge

American  

noun

1. punkie.

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biting midge British  

noun

1. any small fragile dipterous fly of the family Ceratopogonidae , most of which suck the blood of mammals, birds, or other insects

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Etymology

Origin of biting midge

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

But in 2015, warm autumn weather produced a rare third hatching of biting midge.

From BBC

Dr. McAlister herself hates chocolate, but she is fond of the kind of flies that pollinate the cacao plant — a variety of biting midge.

From New York Times

The virus is typically transmitted by a biting midge, Culicoides paraensis, that ranges from Argentina to as far north as Wisconsin.

From New York Times

"The main species is the Highland biting midge, the one with the spotty wings and the one most people will be familiar with," she says.

From BBC

The disease, which is spread by a biting midge, is common in white-tailed deer.

From Washington Times