No-see-um

No-see-um : You Sure Can Feel-um! You probably have heard of this pesky little bug as a sandfly, sandflea, no-see-em, noseeum, sand gnats, chitras, punkie, or punky.

No-see-um ... yep, you sure can feel-um even if you can't see-um! Hey ... I live in Florida, you don't need to ask me about how pesky these little creatures can be! I remember when I wore my hair very short and gelled it spiky, rather like the performer Pink.

Do you know that is the worst hair style with regard to no-see-ums? They get into your hair and will eat up your scalp! At least that's what I remember one vacation while visiting in the Florida Keys. Yes indeed! The no-see-um has truly earned the distinction to be called by so many names ... a sandfly, sandflea, no-see-em, noseeum, sand gnats, chitras, punkie, or punky! That no-see-um, by whatever name, can be quite annoying ... bite bite bite ... scratch scratch!!

Oh, BTW ... there surely must have been a comedian who was first bitten by a no-see-um who named this little pesky critter!

Photo Credit: The incomparable no-see-um as spotted on Wikimedia Commons.

Cast your vote about the no-see-um!

1. Pound for pound, the most annoying insect
2. They don't bite me
3. Love 'em

Scientific Classication of the no-see-um

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Diptera

Suborder: Nematocera

Infraorder: Culicomorpha

Superfamily: Chironomoidea

Family: Ceratopogonidae 

Biting Midge

A closer look at that biting midge ... It's the name for any of numerous minute, fragile flies in several families. The family Chironomidae consists of about 2,000 species, most of which are widely distributed. The herbivorous larvae are found in all freshwaters; the larvae of some species live in saltwater. Midge larvae are an important source of food for larger aquatic insects and fish. The larvae of some species of the genus Chironomus, which are called freshwater bloodworms, are unusual in that they contain the protein hemoglobin. The pupae are active and aquatic.

The adults, which look like slender mosquitoes, are often seen swarming over or near water, and large courting and mating swarms may contain millions of insects. The larvae and pupae of the net-wing midges, family Blepharoceridae, live in fast-flowing freshwater; they attach to rocks by suction disks and feed mainly on algae.

The biting midges belong to the genus Culicoides of the family Ceratopogonidae; they are the smallest of the bloodsucking insects and are common pests in the NE United States, where they are called punkies, sand flies, and no-see-ums.

The adults have mouthparts that pierce and suck and inflict irritating bites on humans; some species ride the wings of dragonflies and lacewings, sucking the blood of their hosts. Gall midges, family Cecidomyiidae, damage many plants by causing formation of plant galls in which the larvae live. --www.bartleby.com.

More about the no-see-um

• No-See-ums (Family eratopogonidae)
  No-see-ums are tiny biting flies that often live near water. You often see many of themswarming together in a cloud. Keep your mouth shut or you might breathe some in or swallow them! It won't hurt you, but it will probably make you cough.
• University of Florida
  Biting midges (no-see-ums) can be a nuisance to campers, fishermen, hunters, hikers, gardeners, and others who spend time outdoors during early morning and evenings, and even during the daytime on still, cloudy days. They will readily bite humans.
• What is a No See Um?
  You might not know what a no see um looks like because of its tiny size, but if one bites, you won't miss it! The no see um is a bloodsucker many times smaller than a mosquito, but with a bite inversely more painful.

Help!!!
If you are annoyed by flying insects that bite, try the The Executioner Fly Swat Wasp Bug Mosquito Swatter Zapper.

Some other helpful products:

• No No-See-Um Insect Repellent
• Ultimate Survival Technologies No-See-Um Jacket
• Ultimate Survival Technologies No-See-Um Pants
• Equinox Pkgd No-see-um Mosquito Net

Thanks for visiting!
I hope you haven't been too bugged by no-see-ums like I was. There's nothing worse that little bugs that you really can't see that bite.

History: No-see-um : You Sure Can Feel-um was originally created on Squidoo by JaguarJulie on January 18, 2008. Highest lensrank ever achieved: #1,398 overall. Lens #253 in the quest for Giant Squid 300 Club.

Spanish Fly

Spanish Fly : What the Heck is it? Known as Cantharides with history back to Hippocrates! There is probably a lot about Spanish fly that the average person doesn't know!

First of all, Spanish fly is NOT a fly! It is actually a green beetle. Did you know that it is also known as Cantharides and that it has a history dating back to Hippocrates?

Do you know that there is a practice of using Spanish fly with farm animals to encourage them to mate?

You undoubtedly know that it has a reputation for being one of the world's most well-known aphrodisiacs. Hello there my little magical fly.

Photo Credit: It's the notorious green blister beetle spotted in Wikimedia Commons.

What the heck is it?

This is a picture of the green blister beetle, Lytta Vesicatoria of the family Meloidae. This beetle contains at the most 5% cantharidin or Spanish fly which is a yellowish-brown or a brownish-olive in color. As the wings of the beetle have an iridescent quality, so does the crushed powder. It’s also a bit stinky and tastes bitter.

Did you know this?
It is not legal in the United States except for use ...

Spanish Fly or Cantharides is not legal for use in the United States, unless this product is for the specific use in “animal husbandry” which would involve use with farm animals to encourage mating!

What is an unusual use is for the treatment of warts as a topical agent and only to be administered by a licensed physician.

Be wary of what you might find advertised on the internet as Herbal or Mexican Spanish Fly or Spanish Fly Potion!

Would you believe that these products are probably straight cayenne pepper or a mixture of cayenne pepper along with ginger, ginseng, gotu kola or kelp.

Germany has a Spanish Fly product, Spanische Fliege, which contains a diluted amount of the product normally contained in the homeopathic dosage.

A close-up view of dead green blister beetles used to produce this magical potion! This rather clinical view of green blister beetles dead in a jar was taken in a Turku Pharmacy Museum by mararie.

It has applications in food and cooking? Really? In North Africa, there is a jam called Dawamesk which blends sometimes Spanish Fly along with almond paste, cloves, pistachio nuts, orange peel, sugar, and hashish! On our Spanish Flee vacation we almost made it to North Africa … not sure I would have tried this though!

In Morocco, at one time you could get Ras el hanout, a blend of spices and cantharides. In the 1990s, it was banned for sale in the Moroccan spice markets.

Scientific Classification
Of the Species Lytta Vesicatoria ...Kingdom: Animalia; Phylum: Arthropoda; Class: Insecta; Order: Coleoptera
Family: Meloidae; Subfamily: Meloinae; Tribe: Lyttini; Genus: Lytta; Species: L. vesicatoria

Historical Uses
You might not have known this!

• Hippocrates: To raise blisters by using the beetle wings to make a plaster.


• Ancient China: To make a stink bomb using Cantharides beetles and human excrement, arsenic and wolfsbane! Also, as an aphrodisiac.


• Romans: Augustus Caesar’s wife Livia put it into her guests’ food, hoping to blackmail them later for their indiscretions!


• Henry IV: Used it!


• Ambroise Paré: A French surgeon who reported in 1572, a man who consumed cantharides and nettles was suffering from satyriasis.


• La Voisin: A black magician in the 1670s, created a love charm by mixing it with dried blood from moles and bats. This love charm was used on
  Louis XIV to “endear” him to Madame de Montespan.


• 18th Century: In France, it had become the fashion with Marquis de Sade supposedly giving Spanish fly pastilles to prostitutes at an orgy — undoubtedly the inspiration for those renowned stories we’ve heard!

More Spanish Fly References
Spanish Fly -- 1987 Album - A 1987 album by Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam.
Spanish Fly -- 2003 Film - A 2003 American film, set in a Los Angeles night club, about the use of an aphrodisiac!
Spanish Fly -- Van Halen Song - It is actually a Van Halen classical guitar solo!
Spanish Fly -- A Wrestler's Move - It is a variation of the wrestler's moonsault side slam!

History: Spanish Fly : What the Heck is it? was originally created on Squidoo by JaguarJulie on April 18, 2009. Highest lensrank ever achieved: #4,972 overall. Lens #415 in the quest for Giant Squid 500 Club.