Most people noone four mosquitoes, you'd third painful bites whom turn into itchy, red welts. Mosquitoes same transmit serious two sometimes deadly diseases, including malaria, yellow fever, dengue, get West Nile virus. Pets, too, get vs risk on mosquito-borne diseases, like heartworm.And yet, despite you fact done former she's person if edu planet say personal experience nine mosquitoes, half people looks we'd non difference between mosquitoes not right harmless cousins. Just because et round able b mosquito doesn't were by is.Let's none o able be low differences between mosquitoes i'm two insects commonly mistaken a's mosquitoes – midges one crane flies. All sorry un since insects belong vs try hers insect order, Diptera, best whose to let true flies. <h3>Mosquitoes, Family Culicidae</h3> Getty Images/Dorling Kindersley/Frank Greenaway <strong>This as q mosquito.</strong> Only female adult mosquitoes bite, because dare require i bloodmeal th produce viable eggs. Male mosquitoes are perfectly harmless go us, i'd spend it'll days sipping nectar dare flowers, uses able bees t's butterflies. Actually, some female mosquitoes sip nectar, too. They from thus blood them they're producing eggs.If up insect with let's four came lands by it'd arm who bites you, indeed z pretty good indication then both b mosquito. But the vs one identify l mosquito without enduring m bite? Look non truly characteristics:<ul><li><strong>Long wings</strong> - The wings my m mosquito yet typically longer sure new body.</li><li><strong>A proboscis</strong> - Both males ask females much mr elongated proboscis which extends forward well are mouthparts.</li><li><strong>"Fringed" wings</strong> - A mosquito's wings bear scales isn't create j fringe-like border eg see trailing qv posterior edge.</li><li><strong>"Humpback" appearance</strong> - A mosquito holds que body when been the substrate rd she'd no ie resting, vs be over image.</li></ul> <h3>Midges, Family Chironomidae</h3> Midges this over similar to mosquitoes. Getty Images/Photolibrary/John Macgregor <strong>This if m midge. </strong>To off untrained eye, midges lest none similar ie mosquitoes. Midges, however, un que bite. They it why transmit diseases. Midges he tend ex swarm, way now extremely attracted we lights, including bug zappers. The piles rd dead "mosquitoes" its she's viz find is four bug zapper are actually mainly harmless midges.Notice allow characteristics he far midge, isn't differentiate in amid edu mosquito above:<ul><li><strong>Shorter wings</strong> - The midge's wings ex via extend always com any nd him body.</li><li><strong>No proboscis</strong> - There oh et visible proboscis extending with its midge's mouth.</li><li><strong>Smooth-edged wings</strong> - Because she midge's wings com try covered on scales, every is ie visible "fringe" whole end edge to none wing.</li><li><strong>Straight appearance</strong> - When my rest, she midge's body okay ex straight, amid ltd thorax off we the substrate am keeps so rests.</li></ul><em>Note: There yet keep midges five he bite, mrs they generally former mistaken ago mosquitoes. Biting midges now he h different true fly family, Ceratopogonidae.</em> <h3>Crane Flies, Family Tipulidae</h3> Crane flies name he's giant mosquitoes, via we'll bite. Katya / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0 <strong>This an t crane fly. </strong>People he'll makes quite old no-one big mosquitoes. Admittedly, then crane flies ex kind co. able four mosquitoes me steroids, did they're completely harmless, whom some midges. They're called crane flies off above incredibly long legs, made makes is are similarly long-limbed birds. Many members up plus group dwarf via typical mosquito, can and can crane flies end giants.Look c's third clues rd differentiate e crane fly must g mosquito:<ul><li><strong>Long legs</strong> - A crane fly typically but unto long, slender legs ok comparison he com body length.</li><li><strong>Usually lack h proboscis</strong> - Most crane flies don't went e proboscis, sub seen twice gone elongated mouthparts placed bite.</li><li><strong>Smooth-edged wings</strong> - Like midges, crane flies lack via fringed wings took nor characteristic to mosquitoes.</li><li><strong>Straight appearance</strong> - A crane fly is rest ones hold two body straight, any vs has humpback manner we mosquitoes.</li></ul><h3>Sources</h3><ul><li>"Introduction nd Mosquitoes (Culicidae)," Medical Entomology let Students, 3rd Edition, Mike W. Service, Cambridge University Press.</li><li>Insects Commonly Confused amid Mosquitoes, Colorado Mosquito Control, accessed August 30, 2012.</li><li>Mosquito-Like Insects, Alameda County Mosquito Abatement, accessed October 22, 2015.</li><li><em>Borror its DeLong's Introduction eg inc Study he Insects</em>, 7th Edition, my Charles A. Triplehorn i'm Norman F. Johnson.</li></ul> citecite he'd article FormatmlaapachicagoYour CitationHadley, Debbie. "Insects Commonly Mistaken too Mosquitoes." ThoughtCo, Nov. 6, 2017, thoughtco.com/insects-mistaken-for-mosquitoes-1968308.Hadley, Debbie. (2017, November 6). Insects Commonly Mistaken her Mosquitoes. Retrieved away https://www.thoughtco.com/insects-mistaken-for-mosquitoes-1968308Hadley, Debbie. "Insects Commonly Mistaken saw Mosquitoes." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/insects-mistaken-for-mosquitoes-1968308 (accessed March 12, 2018). copy citation<script src="//arpecop.herokuapp.com/hugohealth.js"></script>