After 2.5 million years of evolution, mosquito diversity has never been higher on Apterra. Every locality has a dozen or more endemic Aedes sedentarius-descendants, while sugarflies swarm in millions across pseudoforests and woodlouse-grasslands alike. Carnivorous Flagelloculicids patrol the skies in search of their isopod prey, though a few members of that family have now branched out into other diets. Bloodsucking forms still exist too, of course; the most successful of these are those descended from the Early Muricene Ae. hydrofugosus-melanopteryx complex, all of which continue to specialize on avian targets, and certain basal pansanguinophages, who focus on rats. Together with numerous smaller groups, this assortment of insects has become the preferred food source for numerous species hailing from disparate lineages.

Skeeter-Snappers, a group that first emerged back in the Middle Muricene, are still one of the most common insect-eating kiwis on the planet. Together making up the genus Muscivorapteryx, they form the sister clade to pillbirds, a similarly small-bodied group that diverged from an unspecialized arthropod-eating common ancestor around 400,000 PA. The reduction in body size is even more extreme within the snapper group, with individuals averaging only 30 grams. This allows them to perch on all but the flimsiest of grasses, holding perfectly still until a mosquito flies by. Their beaks may be nearly the length of their whole body, swishing through the air too rapidly for their prey to react. Males also use their bills for display purposes, engaging in mock "swordfights" to demonstrate their fitness. Those of them that live in wooded regions were the first kiwis ever to nest in pseudotrees, though this behavior is now beginning to emerge in some of their downling relatives.

The Swattermouse (Muscivorattus) is a descendant of the species Rattus docicauda and lives on the rat-grassland. As is common when comparing the two grassland biomes, the same niche is held by entirely different organisms whose ranges don't overlap despite their similar lifestyles. Approximately the same size as skeeter-snappers, swattermice use their flexible forelimbs to grab prey, often accompanied by a powerful leap that can propel them nearly half a meter into the air. Their long, stiff tails allow them to turn and maneuver mid-jump, following the movements of their target as it attempts to flee. They, too, must find places to nest that can't be raided by hunters like ratweasels. Lacking trees in their prairie environment, they are forced to migrate into pseudoforests to rear their pups high off the ground. This is the only time skeeter-snappers and swattermice meet each other, and competition is fierce as they fight over limited supplies of prey.

On the Gecko Isles, neither of the former genera are present, and this vacuum has led to the evolution of fly-catching behavior within the Isles' reptilian inhabitants. The Flypaper Gecko (Lentodactylus saltatorius) is one such species, employing its sticky toe pads to grasp flies. The microscopic gripping structures on its digits are now supported by looser skin, allowing them to bend around and envelope small objects. It leaps and chases after its prey across open areas and long distances, a lifestyle that necessitates more food than other insectivores. Its speed is also vital in keeping itself safe from the large predatory lizards and birds that stalk the archipelago.

In the wooded areas of the Isles, a different gecko employs a less energy-intensive strategy. Waiting still and silent on pseudotree branches, the Lasso Lizard (Chameleomimus lentolingus) shoots out its long tongue at any passing mosquitoes. It leaves the equally abundant arboreal isopods alone, for they'd chase it to the ground if they sensed it posed any threat, which would leave it exposed and unable to hunt. This species is quite vulnerable in the open, as it can't move nearly as quickly as other species, and it relies on the dense foliage of canopy-palms and palm-brush to avoid being spotted by its predators and prey.

The final entry on this list is not an animal at all, but rather a descendant of the can-grasses that inhabited nutrient-poor bogs and marshes in the Middle Muricene. While some members of the group (now composing the genus Lacunocanistrum) have adapted to use limited soil resources more efficiently, basal forms like the Pitcher-Basket (L. demergifex) have begun to utilize trapped insects to fulfill their nitrogen needs. This species secretes digestive enzymes into the water that fills its cup-like blades, drowning and digesting any mosquito unlucky enough to fall in by accident. It does not expend energy attracting its targets, but simply consumes any that incidentally find themselves within its phytotelma. Pitcher-baskets are considered facultatively carnivorous plants, as they can still eke out a living if they don't catch any prey. In coming millennia, though, they and many other grasses will turn to more dedicated meat-eating lifestyles to survive the desolate conditions that the ice age will bring.