Get ready, Klamath Falls, Ore. It’s time for the little green bugs!
Every year at about this time swarms of the insects, known locally as Klamath midges, emerge from the bottom of Upper Klamath Lake to mate. They superficially resemble big mosquitoes, but don’t bite.
Southern Oregon naturalist Dr. Frank Lang cites a 1941 paper on the bug’s biology in describing the mating frenzy this way:
“It's early evening, the wind dies, and near the edge of the marsh a few small flying insects rise. Soon joined by others, the swarm increases and increases and increases until the mass of insects forms a long symmetrical top-shaped mass that swirls about emanating a … screaming hum audible at a distance of 100 yards. Cows refuse to eat. Automobile radiators clog. People become nauseated and have trouble breathing.”
Lang says millions upon millions of midge larvae feed on the shallow, nutrient-rich waters of the Klamath aquatic ecosystem.
Lang says, “If the midge is an aggravation, try to find some solace in the important role (the larvae play) … in the biology of Klamath Lake and the production of trophy trout.”
Source: Lang, Dr. Frank. "Nature Notes by Dr. Frank Lang: Klamath Midge." Crater Lake Institute. Crater Lake Foundation. Web. 9 June 2015. http://www.craterlakeinstitute.com/nature-notes-by-dr-frank-lang/klamath-midge/.
