tiny biting bugs

Last month we stayed in Barra, great for the kids by the way and easy cheap fishing. There was a couple days that I was getting bitten/stung by these tiny, size of a grain of black sand or smaller bugs. I could barely see them unless i looked closely. Our local guy told us they were called que quens? dont know spelling. I got bitten 40 plus times in 30 minutes waiting for food one afternoon. Does anyone know if they are mosquitos or biting flys? Are the they equivalent to "no see ums' stateside?