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Insects That Swarm in Columns

Just about any insect that hatches in abundance is capable of swarming in columns, but a handful of insects come to mind as commonly forming such columns. Most of the insects known to swarm in this fashion are aquatic and hatch in waves, invoked by the time of year, time of day and weather changes. It is almost always near water: Either fresh, moving water or wetlands. There are several insects known for swarming in columns.

Mayflies
- Mayflies are of the taxonomic order Ephemeroptera. Their name is derived from "ephemeral," meaning "short-lived." The adult, or mating, stage of their life is so short: one day up to a couple weeks. Mayflies are among trouts' favorite food. They are well-known to fly-fishermen as many flies are patterned after mayflies. In places, hatches of mayflies are sparse. In others, at times they can be so thick they form a dark cloud which is impossible to see through. Mayflies are known to take flight, gain altitude, then flutter back to the ground or water. When mayflies swarm, they can create great columns.
Gnats
- Gnats belong to the taxonomic order Diptera --- one of the most common insects and among the smallest. Gnats or "midges" can appear in massive quantities. They are an aquatic insect, so they generally appear near wetlands of some kind, but not necessarily moving freshwater like the mayflies prefer. Like Ephemeroptera, Diptera is a favorite trout food. Subspecies vary, but they they look like small mosquitoes.
No-See-Ums
- These little insects with the funny name are a part of the order Diptera. So, they are a kind of gnat. They are, however, a biting gnat. If you encounter a swarming column of gnats and they look smaller than mosquitoes and one of them bites you, you're probably looking at no-see-ums. Alaska and other marshy, Northern areas are notorious for large no-see-um populations. Any marsh-like area that thaws in the spring is ideal habitat. Many consider no-see-ums to be a much more irritating bite than a mosquito's.
Caddisflies
- Caddisflies are of the order Trichoptera. If a mayfly is a trout's favorite food, a caddisfly is probably its staple. It is among the most common trout food. And like other common trout food, it is a aquatic insect, spending most of its life as a nymph, extracting oxygen from the water. In its short adult life, it becomes terrestrial. There are many families and geni of caddisflies. They often hatch in small waves. In some areas, at some times, caddisflies hatch in massive, dark clouds of hundreds of thousands of insects, forming dark columns.

Insects & Science