Gnat | Insect - Encyclopedia Britannica

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External Websites

• WebMD - Gnats: What to Know
• A-Z Animals - Gnat
• The Spruce - How to Get Rid of Gnats in Your Home
• Healthline - 5 Simple Ways to Treat Gnat Bites
• UC IPM - Fungus Gnats

gnat insect Ask Anything Homework Help Written and fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors History Britannica AI Ask Anything Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask Anything

gnat, any member of several species of small flies that bite and annoy humans. Several nonbiting insects, such as the midges, which resemble mosquitoes, are also sometimes known as gnats. In North America the name is often applied to the black fly, midge, fungus gnat, biting midge, fruit fly (qq.v.), and other small flies that hover about the eyes of humans and other animals. In Great Britain the name usually refers to mosquitoes or less commonly to crane flies (family Tipulidae).

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kara Rogers.