Frog‐biting midges and mosquitoes: Comparative insights from the Oriental and Sino‐Japanese regions

TL;DR

This review compares frog-biting mosquitoes and midges in the Oriental and Japanese regions, highlighting research gaps and the need for more studies on their ecology and evolution.

Contribution

The paper synthesizes and compares knowledge of frog-biting mosquitoes and midges in the Oriental region and Japan, emphasizing shared amphibian lineages and research gaps.

Findings

Research on frog-biting mosquitoes is biased toward the Neotropics, with less focus on the Oriental and Japanese regions.

Frog-biting mosquitoes use unique host-seeking strategies, such as exploiting frog calls, which differ from mammal-feeding species.

India's high anuran biodiversity makes it a key area for studying frog-biting midges and mosquitoes.

Abstract

Frog‐biting mosquitoes (Culicidae) and midges (Corethrellidae) are old hematophagous lineages that originated over 200 million years ago and provide an ideal opportunity to broaden our understanding of the evolution of host specialization and sensory ecology. While most mosquito research has targeted medically important species, which preferentially feed on mammals and birds, a subset specializes in ectothermic hosts, particularly amphibians. Some of these species locate calling male frogs by exploiting their advertisement calls, a host‐seeking strategy that contrasts sharply with the use of chemical, thermal and olfactory cues by endotherm‐feeding species. Such interactions can influence frog signaling evolution, alter parasite transmission dynamics and shape ecological networks. Globally, understanding amphibian‐feeding Culicomorpha is critical for integrating evolutionary, ecological and conservation perspectives. Yet research is disproportionately concentrated in the Neotropics, where species diversity, host associations and behavioral adaptations have been comparatively well documented. In this review, we synthesize current knowledge on frog‐biting mosquitoes and midges in the Oriental region and compare these findings with those from Japan, as these regions share a similar amphibian lineage. A particular focus is given to India, a country hosting high anuran biodiversity hotspots, making it an ideal setting to study the ecology and evolution of frog‐biting midges and mosquitoes. By providing an overview of the status of our knowledge of these groups in the Oriental region, we identify gaps to stimulate future research. Ultimately, this review offers a foundation for researchers to develop projects focusing on fertile research venues that will advance our understanding of frog‐biting mosquitoes and midges.

This review synthetizes current knowledge of frog‐biting mosquitoes and midges in the Oriental region and Japan, revealing strong geographic biases in research despite shared amphibian lineages. We highlight key knowledge gaps to guide future studies.

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