Posted on May, 08 2012

The Corethrellidae, or frog-biting midges, are a strange group. Unlike other blood-sucking flies which are attracted to the CO2 that radiates off their hosts, the female midges are attracted to the call of male frogs.

Although 38 species of frog-biting midges have previously been discovered in Costa Rice, this study – the first of its kind in Borneo – discovered 11 species resulting in an additional 8 new species and a known species newly recorded in Borneo.

The most intensely studied area was Brunei Darussalam where 10 of the species were found with only one species from western Sarawak not recorded from Brunei.

Further sampling is likely to uncover more undescribed species.