Corethrellidae

Definition

A family of biting midges (order Diptera) whose females are obligate blood-feeders on anurans (frogs and toads). The family contains a single genus, Corethrella, with approximately 115 extant species distributed primarily in tropical and subtropical regions. Adults are small, slender flies with reduced wing venation; larvae are aquatic and predatory. Corethrellidae are the only known dipteran family specialized for feeding on frog blood, locating hosts by homing in on their advertisement calls.

Etymology

Example

Corethrella appendiculata females aggregate at chorusing sites of the tungara frog (Engystomops pustulosus) in Central America, using the male's complex mating call as an acoustic cue for host location.

Synonyms

• frog-biting midges

Related Terms

• Diptera
• Ceratopogonidae
• Culicidae
• phlebotomy
• acoustic parasitism
• anuran host

Usage Notes

Formerly placed as a subfamily within Chaoboridae; elevated to family rank based on larval and adult morphology and distinct host association. The common name 'frog-biting midges' is sometimes applied broadly, but Corethrellidae are not closely related to the biting midges of family Ceratopogonidae (no-see-ums).