Acoustic-parasitism
Guides
Corethrella
frog-biting midges
Corethrella is the sole genus in the family Corethrellidae, comprising 132 extant and 10 fossil species. These midges are unique among Diptera in using acoustic cues to locate hosts. Adult females are hematophagous and feed on frog blood, while larvae are aquatic predators. The genus has a predominantly pantropical distribution with fossil records extending to the Lower Cretaceous.
Ormia brevicornis
Ormia brevicornis is a species of tachinid fly in the tribe Ormiini. It is a known parasitoid of katydids in the genus Neoconocephalus. The species was described by Townsend in 1919 and occurs in the United States. Two subspecies are recognized: O. b. brevicornis and O. b. nuttingi.
Ormia lineifrons
Ormia lineifrons is a multivoltine koinobiont endoparasitoid fly in the family Tachinidae. It is native to the Americas and has been studied extensively in Kentucky, USA, where it parasitizes four species of Neoconocephalus katydids in a sequential pattern across its three annual generations. The fly locates hosts by eavesdropping on male katydid mating calls, depositing first-instar larvae that develop internally and kill the host upon emergence. Its multi-species host use creates complex evolutionary dynamics with each host species exerting different selective pressures.
Ormia punctata
Ormia punctata is a tachinid fly in the tribe Ormiini, first described by Robineau-Desvoidy in 1830. The species belongs to a genus notable for its specialized parasitoid lifestyle targeting crickets and katydids. Ormiine flies possess a distinctive hearing organ adapted for locating their singing hosts. The species has been recorded from North America, though detailed biological information remains limited.