Corethrellidae

Distinguished from other biting midges by the combination of: wing venation with R1 closer to Sc than in Culicidae; presence of a short proboscis (approximately 135 µm) with open salivary groove; and association with frog hosts. Females possess a Johnston's organ on the second antennal segment for detecting frog calls. Larvae resemble those of Chaoboridae but differ in habitat and predatory behavior using elongated antennae to seize prey.

Minute flies with wing length of 0.6–2.5 mm. Wing venation similar to Culicidae: R with four branches, M with two branches, Cu with two branches; branches of Rs and M nearly parallel. R1 positioned closer to Sc or nearly midway between Sc and R2. Females possess a short piercing-sucking proboscis approximately 135 µm in length, with delicate mandibular piercing structures forming the food canal together with the labrum and hypopharynx. The salivary canal transitions into an open salivary groove with one mandible forming a seal.

Adults occupy all strata of tropical and subtropical forests from ground level to canopy (up to 38 m). Larvae inhabit small water collections including tree holes, leaf axils, and occasionally subterranean pools; some species occupy phytotelmata (water held by plants such as Nepenthes). Distribution closely tied to presence of host frogs. Most species found below 1500 m elevation.

Worldwide between 50°N and 50°S, with majority of species between 30°N and 30°S. Strongly concentrated in tropical regions. Documented from North America, Central America, South America, Borneo, Southeast Asia, and Madagascar. Some lineages show Gondwanan connections; at least one lineage dispersed from the New World to Southeast Asia. Some species occur on volcanic Caribbean islands indicating dispersal capability.

Females are obligate hematophages, feeding almost exclusively on blood of frogs. Larvae are predatory, seizing small arthropods using elongated antennae in a rapid snap-like motion.

• frogs (Anura) - obligate host for blood-feedingfemales attracted to male mating calls; some species show host specificity and feeding site selection

Larvae develop in small water collections. Adults are nocturnal. Females require blood meals for reproduction. Specific details of egg, pupal stages, and developmental duration not documented in available sources.

Females locate hosts by phonotaxis, eavesdropping on male frog mating calls. Approach to calling hosts follows a vertical trajectory from above. Can detect acoustic stimuli in the far field, responding to sound pressure levels as low as 56 dBA equivalent to a calling frog at ~30 m distance. Exhibit feeding site specificity with partitioning among sympatric species; documented feeding sites include nostrils, head/dorsum, hindlegs, and toes. Some species show preference for particular forest strata including canopy.

As parasites, may influence frog fitness and behavior. Some species are vectors of frog-specific Trypanosoma protozoa, causing trypanosomiasis in host populations. Larval predation may regulate small arthropod populations in phytotelmata and other small water bodies.

No direct human health or economic significance. Serve as model organisms for studying host-parasite coevolution, sensory ecology of phonotaxis, and vector biology. Used in ecological research on frog populations and acoustic community dynamics.

• Culicidae (mosquitoes)Similar wing venation; distinguished by R1 position closer to Sc in Corethrellidae, shorter proboscis with open salivary groove, and exclusive association with frog hosts rather than diverse vertebrate hosts
• Chaoboridae (phantom midges)Larvae resemble Corethrellidae; distinguished by different adult morphology and non-hematophagous adult feeding. Corethrellidae were formerly classified as tribe Corethrellini within Chaoborinae (1962–1989)

• hematophagy
• phonotaxis
• frog parasite
• tropical
• nocturnal
• vector
• Cretaceous fossil

• BugGuide
• Wikipedia
• GBIF taxonomy match
• iNaturalist taxon
• Catalogue of Life
• Feeding site specificity in frog-biting midges (Corethrellidae)
• Feeding Site Specificity in Frog-biting Midges (Corethrellidae)
• World catalog of extant and fossil Corethrellidae (Diptera)
• The Frog-Biting Midges of the World (Corethrellidae: Diptera)
• Specialisation in frog‐biting midges (Diptera: Corethrellidae): A landscape perspective
• Preferences for anuran calls in hematophagous corethrellids (Diptera: Corethrellidae) from Southern Brazil
• The Frog-Biting Midges of Borneo—From Two to Eleven Species (Corethrellidae: Diptera)
• Four new species and some new records of Brazilian frog-biting midges (Diptera: Corethrellidae)
• The Mouthparts of Female Blood-Feeding Frog-Biting Midges (Corethrellidae, Diptera)
• Molecular Confirmation of Frogs (Anura) as Hosts of Corethrellidae (Diptera) in the Southeastern United States
• Corethrella (Diptera: Corethrellidae) of Eastern North America: Laboratory Life History and Field Responses to Anuran Calls
• Feeding Site Selection by Frog-Biting Midges (Diptera: Corethrellidae) on Anuran Hosts
• Look up! Stratification and vertical approach to auditory prey cues in frog-biting midges (Corethrellidae)
• Corethrella (Diptera: Corethrellidae) of North America North of Mexico: Distribution and Morphology of Immature Stages
• Pan Traps as an efficient and low cost method for sampling Corethrella Coquillet, 1902 (Diptera: Corethrellidae)