We are excited to announce the submission of a new manuscript investigating how frog-biting midges Corethrella are distributed along a 3,000-meter elevational gradient near Manu National Park. These tiny midges locate their hosts by listening to their calls, creating a unique ecological relationship between parasites and frogs. Using frog-call baited traps, we sampled midges from Amazonian lowland forests to Andean cloud forests. Species richness declined with elevation, and no midges were detected above 2,400m despite the continued presence of frogs.
Community composition changed dramatically across the elevational gradient, with species turnover driving most of the differences among sites. The highest occupied elevations contained unique species not found at lower elevations, highlighting the distinctiveness of montane midge communities.
Our findings suggest that abiotic conditions, rather than host availability, limit the upper elevational range of frog-biting midges. This study provides new insights into how mountain environments shape parasite diversity and their ecological associations with amphibians in the tropical Andes.
Citation: Timelli, F., X. Bernal, A. Catenazzi. 2026. Abiotic constraints shape elevational distributions of Andean frog-biting midges (Corethrellidae) despite persistent host availability. Ecology and Evolution: under review. Authorea doi: https://doi.org/10.22541/authorea.15004772/v1
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