Laurent Geslin / A swarm of midges (Chironomidae) flying in the morning. Walthamstow reservoir, London, UK

Erlend Haarberg / Midges (Chironomus islandicus) swarming, Myvatn, Iceland, June

Erlend Haarberg / Midges (Chironomus islandicus) on a 'No Walking' sign, Myvatn, Iceland, May

Steve Knell / Whooper swan (Cygnus cygnus) on water, backlit showing swarming midges. Iceland, May

Steve Knell / Tufted duck (Aythya fuligula) drake on water with Midges (Chironomidae) Iceland. June

Steve Knell / Swarm of Midges (Chironomidae) flying around grass stems. Lake Myvatn, Iceland. June

Steve Knell / Swarm of Midges (Chironomidae) flying around grass stems. Lake Myvatn, Iceland. June

Mark Bowler / Swarm of Phantom midges / Lake flies (Chaoborus edulis) over Lake Victoria, Entebbe, Uganda, July 2006

Orsolya Haarberg / Flowering willows (Salix sp.) in midges (Chironomus islandicus) swarming. Mvatn, Iceland. June 2008

Erlend Haarberg / Orsolya Haarberg in midge (Chironomus islandicus) swarming. Mvatn, Iceland. May 2008

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / Biting midges (Culicoides impunctatus) swarming in peat moorland on the shores of Loch Shin, Inverness-shire, Scotland, UK. August.

Chien Lee / Long-fingered Slender Toad (Ansonia longidigita) male fed upon by mosquitoes and biting midges, Sarawak, Malaysia

Phil Savoie / Common grackel (Quiscalus quiscula) male with billful of midges, Bozeman, Montana, USA.

Phil Savoie / Yellow warbler (Dendroica petechia) male hunting midges, Bozeman, Montana, USA. June.

Ingo Arndt / Swarm of Midges (Chironomidae), France.

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / Pine marten (Martes martes) reflected in woodland pool, Ardnamurchan, Lochaber, Scotland, UK, June.

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / Pine marten (Martes martes) plagued by midges, amongst buttercups, Ardnamurchan, Lochaber, Highland, Scotland, UK, June.

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / Pine marten (Martes martes) plagued by midges, Ardnamurchan, Lochaber, Highland, Scotland, UK, June.

Markus Varesvuo / Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus) hunting midges on water, Summer, Iceland. Magic Moments book plate.

Jan Hamrsky / Large red damselfly nymph (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) feeding on phantom midge larva (Chaoborus flavicans) Europe, October, controlled conditions

Jan Hamrsky / Large red damselfly nymph (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) hunting phantom midge larva (Chaoborus flavicans) Europe, October, controlled conditions

Jan Hamrsky / Phantom midge larva (Chaoborus flavicans) head detail, Europe, October, controlled conditions

Jan Hamrsky / Phantom midge larva (Chaoborus flavicans) Europe, October, controlled conditions

Jan Hamrsky / Phantom midge larva (Chaoborus flavicans) Europe, October, controlled conditions

Jan Hamrsky / Non-biting midge larvae (Chironomidae) in the shelter attached to the freshwater sponge (Spongilla lacustris) Europe, August, controlled conditions

Jan Hamrsky / Non-biting midge larvae (Chironomidae) in the shelter attached to the freshwater sponge (Spongilla lacustris) Europe, August, controlled conditions

Laurent Geslin / A swarm of midges (Chironomidae) flying above crops at sunset. Brittany, France

Nick Upton / Non-biting chironomid midges (Chironomidae) silhouetted as they mate under a leaf, with the female hanging below a male with plumose antennae, Wiltshire garden, UK, April.

Nick Upton / Male Non-biting chironomid midge (Chironomus sp.) with plumose antennae resting on a dead plant stem on heathland, Sandy, Bedfordshire, UK, April.

Peter Cairns / Pine marten (Martes martes), climbing tree surrounded by midges, Cairngorms National Park, Scotland

Erlend Haarberg / Midges (Chironomus islandicus) swarming, Myvatn, Iceland, June

Erlend Haarberg / Midges (Chironomus islandicus) swarming, Myvatn, Iceland, June 2008

Erlend Haarberg / Midges (Chironomus islandicus) swarming, Myvatn, Iceland, June

Erlend Haarberg / Photographer Orsolya Haarberg surrounded by swarming Midges (Chironomus islandicus) Myvatn, Iceland, June 2008, model released

Niall Benvie / 2020VISION / Woman holding a microphone, with a coat over her head to protect from midges, Achiltibuie, Coigach and Assynt, Scotland, UK, June. 2020VISION Exhibition.

Laurie Campbell / Female Biting midges (Culicoides sp.) feeding on photographer's hand, Inverness-shire, Scotland, June

Laurie Campbell / Female Biting midges (Culicoides sp) feeding on photographer's hand, Inverness-shire, Scotland, June

Nick Upton / Female Fungus Gnat (Cecidomyiidae: Micromyinae) with metallic blue abdomen standing on a yellow Forsythia petal. Wiltshire garden, UK, March.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Scottish midges feed on a bare hand, UK, September 2007.

Stephen Dalton / Midge (Chironomidae) larva below water surface showing the siphon or breathing tube. UK, September.

Nick Upton / Net-winged midge (Apistomyia elegans), a rare, specialist insect of clear-water mountain streams, feeding on streamside Wild angelica (Angelica sylvestris) umbel flowers. Corsica, France, June.

Nick Upton / Net-winged midge (Apistomyia elegans), a rare, specialist insect of clear-water mountain streams, feeding on streamside Wild angelica (Angelica sylvestris) umbel flowers. Corsica, France, June.

Solvin Zankl / Red midge larva (Chironomus)

James Christensen / Sapo Limosa (Atelopus limosus) toad pair in amplexus being bitten by midges, central Panama

Stephen Dalton / Non-biting midge (Chironomus sp) flying, UK, controlled conditions

Stephen Dalton / Midge (Chironomidae) in flight, UK

Hanne & Jens Eriksen / Female Northern / Red-necked phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus) female feeding on water infested by midges, Iceland, June

Hanne & Jens Eriksen / Northern / Red-necked phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus) pair on water with many midges. Iceland, June

Hanne & Jens Eriksen / Male Long tailed duck (Clangula hyemalis) displaying to female on water surrounded by midges, Iceland, June

Philip Dalton / Lake flies (Chironomid sp) swarming, mating behaviour, Lake Victoria, Uganda

Philip Dalton / Lake flies (Chironomid sp) swarming, mating behaviour, Lake Victoria, Uganda

Philip Dalton / Lake flies (chironomid sp) swarming over Lake Victoria, mating behaviour, Uganda

Philip Dalton / Fishing village on the shores of Lake Victoria with swarm of Lake flies (Chironomid sp) Uganda

Philip Dalton / Lake flies (Chironomid sp) swarming on the shores of Lake Victoria over a flock of Egrets, Uganda

Philip Dalton / Lake flies (Chironomid sp) swarming on the shores of Lake Victoria over a flock of Egrets, Uganda

Philip Dalton / Lake flies (Chironomid sp) swarming on the shores of Lake Victoria over a flock of Egrets, Uganda

Philip Dalton / Lake flies (Chironomid sp) swarming over Lake Victoria, Uganda

Stephen Dalton / Gnat (Chironomus sp) UK

Stephen Dalton / Gnat {Chironomus sp} against Red campion flower petal, UK

Mark Bowler / Midge {Chironomus sp} swarm in flight, UK

Mark Bowler / Swarm of Phantom midges / Lake flies (Chaoborus edulis) over Lake Victoria, Entebbe, Uganda, July 2006

Orsolya Haarberg / Midges (Chironomus islandicus) on a spider web. Midge swarming. Mývatn, Iceland. May 2008

James Christensen / Sapo Limosa (Atelopus limosus) pair in amplexus, plagued by Biting Midges (Ceratopogonidae), Panama

James Christensen / Sapo Limosa (Atelopus limosus) pair in amplexus, plagued by Biting Midges (Ceratopogonidae), Panama

James Christensen / Sapo Limosa (Atelopus limosus) pair in amplexus, plagued by Biting Midges (Ceratopogonidae), Panama

Bjorn Forsberg / Creeping thistle {Cirsium arvense}, blackfly and other flying insects, Sweden

Willem Kolvoort / Eggs of Non-biting midges (Chironomidae) attached to freshwater vegetation, Holland

Kim Taylor / Non-biting midge {Chironomidae} male showing plumed antennae, UK

Kim Taylor / Pupa of Phantom midge {Chaoborus crystallinus} amongst aquatic plants, UK.

Kim Taylor / Pupa of Phantom midge {Chaoborus crystallinus} UK.

Kim Taylor / Pupa of Phantom midge {Chaoborus crystallinus} UK.

Kim Taylor / Pupa of Phantom midge {Chaoborus crystallinus} UK.

Kim Taylor / Non-biting midge egg masses {Chironomus plumosus} UK.

Kim Taylor / Non-biting midge {Chironomidae} male showing plumed antennae, UK

Kim Taylor / Non biting midge larvae {Chironomus plumosus} showing gills and false legs, UK.

Kim Taylor / Chironomid midge larva {Forcipomyia sp} amongst duckweed roots, UK.

Kim Taylor / Chironomid midge larva {Corynoneura sp} showing gills, UK.

Kim Taylor / Chironomid midge larvae {Corynoneura sp} showing gills and false legs, UK.

Kim Taylor / Non-biting midge larvae {Chironomus plumosus} showing gills and false legs, UK.

Kim Taylor / Non-biting midge (Chironomus plumosus) egg masses in transparent jelly, UK.

Kim Taylor / Non-biting midge (Chironomus plumosus) larvae showing gills and false legs,

Kim Taylor / Non-biting midge (Chironomus plumosus) larvae showing gills + false legs, UK

Premaphotos / Non-biting midges (Chironomidae) in mating swarm beside a reservoir, UK

Premaphotos / Biting midge (Forcipomyia kaltenbachii) pupae beneath bark of tree, UK

Ingo Arndt / Photographer Ingo Arndt in a swarm of midges, Myvatn, Iceland

Doug Wechsler / Forest midges (Cecidomyiidae) resting on strand of spider silk at base of tree, Armentrout Preserve, Pennsylvania, USA. July.

Doug Wechsler / Three Forest midges (Cecidomyiidae) resting on strand of spider silk at base of tree, Armentrout Preserve, Pennsylvania, USA. July.

Doug Wechsler / Group of Forest midges (Cecidomyiidae) resting on spider silk, Pennsylvania, USA.

Doug Wechsler / Group of Forest midges (Cecidomyiidae) resting on spider silk, Pennsylvania, USA.

Graham Eaton / A swarm of Midges (Culicoides impunctatus) gathering over the Llangollen Canal, Shropshire, UK. May.

Gerrit Vyn / Black tern (Chlidonias niger) hunting over water in prairie wetland for emerging midges (Chironomidae) Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Montana, USA. June.

Pal Hermansen / Fallow deer (Dama dama) herd in grassland with Midges overhead. Oland, Gotland, Sweden. June.