Most gnats live between about 7 to 14 days as adults, with their entire life cycle-from egg to adult-taking roughly 2 to 4 weeks depending on the species and environmental conditions. For example:
- Adult gnats typically live 7 to 10 days, focusing on mating and reproduction during this short lifespan
- Fungus gnats, a common indoor species, live about 1 to 2 weeks as adults and complete their life cycle in about 18 to 30 days
- Some gnats can live up to 4 weeks in total, but the adult stage remains about a week or two
- The life cycle stages include eggs (hatching in 2-7 days), larvae (feeding for 4-14 days), pupae (2-6 days), and then adults
The short adult lifespan is offset by their rapid reproduction: females can lay hundreds of eggs during their life, allowing populations to grow quickly if conditions are favorable
. In summary, adult gnats live roughly one to two weeks, with the full life cycle from egg to adult taking about 2 to 4 weeks depending on species and temperature.
