20 Bulletin No. 159 



The gnat makes its appearance during the early spring 

 at a time when bottoms are flooded. The larvae require 

 rather good water with a current, and are never at home in 

 stagnant, badly polluted pools. They attach themselves to 

 submerged sticks, leaves, logs and rails, clinging by means 

 of .the circle of hooks at the hind end of the body, their hold 

 being made secure by a silken web spun over the surface. 



Fig;. 5 — Larva of Buffalo Gnat, from an alcofiolic specimen from Texas, x lo. 



When dislodged they drop down stream suspended by a 

 silken thread let out from the mouth, and are by its use 

 enabled to return again to the surface whence dislodged. 

 The eggs were found placed on rocks on the banks a few 

 inches above the surface of the water. They are placed in a 

 close layer, are soft, ovoid in shape, except as influenced by 

 pressure of other objects, and measure 0.40 mm in length 

 by 0.18 in diameter. The young are believed to feed upon 

 small crustaceans and other similar animal food brought to 

 their mouths by the peculiar brushes of bristles on each side 

 of , the head. The pupse are formed in leathery brown cases 

 placed well down in the water on wood where they are not 

 likely to be left dry during seasons of drought. The re- 

 spiratory fllaments arising from each side of the thoracic 

 region are many-branched and project beyond the opening 

 of the case. 



In Kentucky in recent years the buffalo gnat has be- 

 come almost unknown in sections where it was formerly 

 troublesome. It is still to be found along both the Ohio and 

 Mississippi rivers from Daviess County westward and south- 

 ward, though some correspondents in this region say they 

 have seen none for twenty or thirty years. It is evident, 

 however, that the gnats do occur in noticeable numbers every 

 season locally, and that in small numbers they are probably 

 constantly present throughout the bottom land along the 

 Ohio and Mississippi rivers in Western Kentucky, 



