blind mosquito n [From its superficial resemblance to a mosquito; blind perh from its apparently aimless behavior] chiefly FL Cf chizzywink n
A midge n 1 (here: family Chironomidae).
1834 Audubon Ornith. Biog. 2.292 FL, The “blind musquitoes” covered every object, even in the cabin. . . Bad as they are, however, these blind musquitoes do not bite. 1856 Edgefield Advertiser (SC) 16 Apr [2]/5 FL, Visitors to Florida have generally serious apprehensions of the mosquitoes and gallinippers of that realm. We were too early for all except the blind mosquito. This tribe is but little troublesome, not as disagreeable in fact as our gnats. 1883 Times–Democrat (New Orleans LA) 19 July 4/3, Those very serious nuisances that afflicted and troubled us so much a few years ago, the sphemeridæ [sic], or, as they are popularly called, the blind mosquito, have again put in their appearance. 1914 Jrl. NY Bot. Garden 15.77 sFL, The greatest surprise awaited us as we started up the eastern shore of the lake [=Okeechobee]. There we made the acquaintance of the blind-mosquito. These animals are about the size of the common mosquitoes, but they do not bite. . . They were so numerous that they actually buried the lantern on the upper deck of our boat and accumulated in a mass to the depth of a foot on the lower deck. 1950 Tampa Morning Tribune (FL) 25 Mar 7/4, Winter Haven. . . A civic committee today lauched [sic] another attack on the blind mosquito menace in this area by having seven lakes sprayed by plane. 1964 Will Hist. Okeechobee 96 FL, There was another insect called a chizzy-wink. . . Since he looked like a mosquito only a little larger, but with a light gray body and fuzzy legs, folks mostly called him a “blind mosquito.” Now this was no reflection on his eyesight, it simply meant that he couldn’t bite. 1966 DARE (Qu. R4) Inf FL34, Blind mosquitoes; (Qu. R10, Very small flies that don’t sting) Inf FL32, Blind mosquitoes; (Qu. R15a, . . Nicknames . . for mosquitoes) Inf FL39, Blind mosquitoes or no-see-ums. They don’t bite. 1970 DARE FW Addit cwFL, I heard a man complaining today about “blind mosquitoes” on the Sarasota golf course. He said they didn’t bite but flew in swarms, into your face, around your head and ears. 1978 FL Coop. Ext. Serv. Ext. Entomol. Rept. 62.1, Blind mosquito is a layman’s term which may refer to several species of aquatic midges. 1981 DARE File FL, These tiny insects, on hatching, leave behind shells or casings about the size of oat hulls, which can cover a large surface of the river. Meanwhile, the newly hatched “blind mosquitos” fly off, partly driven by the wind. 1984 Today (Cocoa FL) 21 Oct sec D 8/5, Recent easterly winds have blown large numbers of blind mosquitos (chizziwinks) to the west shore. . . As a result, bluegills have moved into the grass to feast on the chizziwinks as they fall into the water. It makes for excellent flyrodding. 2011 Orlando Sentinel (FL) 22 Sept sec D 7/4, Did anyone else notice the change of seasons in Florida? We just went from blind mosquito season to love bug season in the blink of an eye.