Mycetophilidae
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 Exechia concinna
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Mycetophilidae is a family of very small flies, forming the bulk of those species known as fungus gnats. 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 fungi and sometimes form dense swarms [1].
Adults of this family can usually be separated from other small flies by the strongly humped thorax but identification within the family between genera and species generally requires close study of microscopic features. The terrestrial larvae usually feed on fungi, especially the spores and hyphae, but some species have been recorded on mosses and liverworts. The larvae of some species, while still being associated with fungi, are at least partly predatory.
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[edit] Bioluminescence
Around a dozen mycetophilid species are unique among flies in displaying bioluminescence [2]. In some species this is restricted to the larval stage but in others this feature is retained by the pupae 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 parasitism.
[edit] Evolution
Mycetophilids, including some extant genera, are well represented in amber deposits and the group appears to have been well established and diversified by the Cretaceous period at the latest.
[edit] Taxonomy
Some 800 species (including some of the bioluminescent species) have recently been split into a separate family, Keroplatidae. This split is not universally recognized as yet and many sources still include the keroplatid genera within Mycetophilidae. The two families contain about 150 described genera. These include [1][3][4]:
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[edit] References
- ^ a b Loïc Matile (1999-09-20). 10. Family Mycetophylidae. Australasian/Oceanian Diptera Catalog — Web Version.
- ^ John M. Sivinski (1998). Phototropism, bioluminescence and the Diptera (PDF). Florida Entomologist 81 (3): 282-292.
- ^ Mycetophilidae. Fauna Europaea (2004).
- ^ Nomina - Diptera: M-P. Nearctica (1998).
