Phyllis Ogden, age 10, of Cleveland, Ohio, for her question:

WHAT IS A GNAT?

A gnat is one of a number of tiny insects. Many gnats suck blood from animals while others do not bite.

Gnats have two wings and a proboscis, a snout like mouth, that can be either long and sharp or short and blunt. It is the proboscis that is used by the biting type to pierce and suck.

In the warm summer air, the gnat is often a familiar sight as great swarms seem to dance together.

An almost invisible gnat called the punkie is a troublesome pest in the Northern woods and in parts of the West. Indians call it the "no see um." Related gnats that bite man are called sea flies.

One family of gnats attacks plants and makes swellings on them.