Mycetophilidae is a family of very small
fliesTrue flies are insects of the order Diptera , possessing a single pair of wings on the mesothorax and a pair of halteres, derived from the hind wings, on the metathorax....
, forming the bulk of those species known as
fungus gnatFungus gnats are small, dark, short-lived flies, of the families Sciaridae, Diadocidiidae, Ditomyiidae, Keroplatidae, Bolitophilidae and Mycetophilidae , sometimes placed in the superfamily Mycetophiloidea, whose larvae feed on plant roots or fungi and aid in the decomposition of organic matter...
s. There are approximately 3000 described species in 150 genera but the true number of species is undoubtedly much higher. They are generally found in the damp habitats favoured by their host
fungiA fungus is any member of a large group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. The Fungi are classified as a kingdom that is separate from plants, animals and bacteria...
and sometimes form dense swarms.
Adults of this family can usually be separated from other small flies by the strongly humped
thoraxThe thorax is a division of an animal's body that lies between the head and the abdomen.In mammals, the thorax is the region of the body formed by the sternum, the thoracic vertebrae and the ribs. It extends from the neck to the diaphragm, and does not include the upper limbs. The heart and the...
but identification within the family between genera and species generally requires close study of
microscopicMicroscopic or Micro is a term used to describe objects smaller than those that can easily be seen by the naked eye and which require a lens or microscope to see them clearly.-History:...
features.
Mycetophilidae is a family of very small
fliesTrue flies are insects of the order Diptera , possessing a single pair of wings on the mesothorax and a pair of halteres, derived from the hind wings, on the metathorax....
, forming the bulk of those species known as
fungus gnatFungus gnats are small, dark, short-lived flies, of the families Sciaridae, Diadocidiidae, Ditomyiidae, Keroplatidae, Bolitophilidae and Mycetophilidae , sometimes placed in the superfamily Mycetophiloidea, whose larvae feed on plant roots or fungi and aid in the decomposition of organic matter...
s. There are approximately 3000 described species in 150 genera but the true number of species is undoubtedly much higher. They are generally found in the damp habitats favoured by their host
fungiA fungus is any member of a large group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. The Fungi are classified as a kingdom that is separate from plants, animals and bacteria...
and sometimes form dense swarms.
Adults of this family can usually be separated from other small flies by the strongly humped
thoraxThe thorax is a division of an animal's body that lies between the head and the abdomen.In mammals, the thorax is the region of the body formed by the sternum, the thoracic vertebrae and the ribs. It extends from the neck to the diaphragm, and does not include the upper limbs. The heart and the...
but identification within the family between genera and species generally requires close study of
microscopicMicroscopic or Micro is a term used to describe objects smaller than those that can easily be seen by the naked eye and which require a lens or microscope to see them clearly.-History:...
features. The
terrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land, as compared with aquatic animals, which live predominantly or entirely in the water , or amphibians, which rely on a combination of aquatic and terrestrial habitats . Terrestrial animals evolved from marine animals...
larvaA larva is a young form of animal with indirect development, going through or undergoing metamorphosis ....
e usually feed on fungi, especially the
sporeIn biology, a spore is a reproductive structure that is adapted for dispersal and surviving for extended periods of time in unfavorable conditions...
s and
hyphaA hypha is a long, branching filamentous cell of a fungus, and also of unrelated Actinobacteria. In most fungi, hyphae are the main mode of vegetative growth, and are collectively called a mycelium; yeasts are unicellular fungi that do not grow as hyphae.-Structure:A hypha consists of one or more...
e, but some species have been recorded on
mossMosses are small, soft plants that are typically 1–10 cm tall, though some species are much larger. They commonly grow close together in clumps or mats in damp or shady locations. They do not have flowers or seeds, and their simple leaves cover the thin wiry stems...
es and
liverwortsThe Marchantiophyta are a division of bryophyte plants commonly referred to as hepatics or liverworts. Like other bryopeos, they have a gametophyte-dominant life cycle, in which cells of the plant carry only a single set of genetic information....
. The larvae of some species, while still being associated with fungi, are at least partly
predatoryIn ecology, predation describes a biological interaction where a predator feeds on its prey, . Predators may or may not kill their prey prior to feeding on them, but the act of predation always results in the death of the prey...
.
Bioluminescence
Around a dozen mycetophilid species are unique among flies in displaying
bioluminescenceBioluminescence is the production and emission of light by a living organism. Its name is a hybrid word, originating from the Greek bios for "living" and the Latin lumen "light". Bioluminescence is a naturally occurring form of chemiluminescence where energy is released by a chemical reaction in...
. In some species this is restricted to the larval stage but in others this feature is retained by the
pupaA pupa is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation. The pupal stage is found only in holometabolous insects, those that undergo a complete metamorphosis, going through four life stages; embryo, larva, pupa and imago...
e and adults. It has been suggested that the ability to produce their own light is used by some predatory larvae as a lure for potential prey, although it also obviously makes themselves more susceptible to predation or
parasitismParasitism is a type of symbiotic relationship between organisms of different species where one organism, the parasite, benefits at the expense of the host....
. These are not true Mycetophilids, but belong to the family Keroplatidae.
Evolution
Mycetophilids, including some extant genera, are well represented in
amberAmber is fossilized tree resin , which has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since neolithic times. Good quality amber is used for the manufacture of ornamental objects and jewelry...
deposits and the group appears to have been well established and diversified by the
CretaceousThe Cretaceous , Latin language for "chalky", usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago . In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows on the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
period at the latest.
Taxonomy
Some 800 species (including some of the bioluminescent species) have been split into a separate family by Tuomikoski in 1966, Keroplatidae . This split is not universally recognized as yet and many sources still include the keroplatid genera within Mycetophilidae. Other recent families,included here in Mycetophilidae as they are not recognized by all workers are Ditomyiidae, Lygistorrhinidae,
DiadocidiidaeDiadocidiidae is a family of Diptera.There are two described genera with over twenty species. Diadocidiidae are found worldwide, except in Africa and Antarctica. It is usually considered close to Keroplatidae, Bolitophilidae and Ditomyiidae, and was previously included in Mycetophilidae. They are...
and Rangomaramidae. The Mycetophilidae
sensu lato contain about 330 described genera. These include :
- Acadia
- Acnemia
- Acomoptera
- Acomopterella
- Acrodicrania
- Adicroneura
- Aglaomyia
- Allactoneura
- Allocotocera
- Allodia
- Allodiopsis
- Anaclileia
- Anatella
- Aneura
- Anomalomyia
- Apolephthisa
- Arachnocampa
Arachnocampa is a genus of four fungus gnat species which are, in their larval stage, glowworms. They are found mostly in New Zealand and Australia in caves and grottos, or sheltered places in forests....
- Asindulum
- Aspidionia
- Ateleia
- Austrosciophila
- Austrosynapha
- Azana
- Baeopterogyna
- Boletina
- Bolitophila
- Brachypeza
- Brevicornu
- Caladonileia
- Cawthronia
- Cerotelion
- Clastobasis
- Coelophthinia
- Coelosia
- Cordyla
- Creagdhubhia
- Cycloneura
- Diadocidia
- Ditomyia
- Docosia
- Drepanocercus
- Dynatosoma
- Dziedzickia
- Ectrepesthoneura
- Epicypta
- Euceroplatus
- Eudicrana
- Exechia
- Exechiopsis
- Fenderomyia
- Garrettella
- Gnoriste
- Gracilileia
- Greenomyia
- Grzegorzekia
- Hadroneura
- Hesperodes
- Heteropterna
- Impleta
- Indoleia
- Keroplatus
- Leia
- Leptomorphus
- Loicia
- Lygistorrhina
- Macrobrachius
- Macrocera
- Macrorrhyncha
- Manota
- Megalopelma
- Megophthalmidia
- Monoclona
- Morganiella
- Mycetophila
- Mycomya
- Myrosia
- Neoallocotocera
- Neoaphelomera
- Neoclastobasis
- Neoempheria
- Neotrizygia
- Neuratelia
- Notolopha
- Novakia
- Orfelia
- Palaeodocosia
- Paleoplatyura
- Paracycloneura
- Paraleia
- Paramorganiella
- Paratinia
- Paratrizygia
- Parvicellula
- Phoenikiella
- Phronia
- Phthinia
- Platurocypta
- Platyura
- Polylepta
- Pseudalysiina
- Pseudexechia
- Pseudobrachypeza
- Pseudorymosia
- Rondaniella
- Rymosia
- Saigusaia
- Sceptonia
- Sciophila
- Sigmoleia
- Speolepta
- Stenophragma
- Sticholeia
- Stigmatomeria
- Symmerus
- Synapha
- Synplasta
- Syntemna
- Tarnania
- Tasmanina
- Taxicnemis
- Tetragoneura
- Trichonta
- Trichoterga
- Trizygia
- Xenoplatyura
- Zygomyia
- Zygophronia
External links