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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » "Nematocera" (Non-Brachycera) » Bibionomorpha » Fungus Gnats (Mycetophilidae) » Leptomorphus » Leptomorphus hyalinus
Photo#227055
Fungus gnat - Leptomorphus hyalinus
Copyright © 2008 Charley Eiseman

Fungus gnat - Leptomorphus hyalinus
Barre, Massachusetts, USA
Size: 8 mm
On 9/16/08 I saw a number of pupae suspended on strands of silk from bracket fungi on a dead tree. I collected one of them, and when I checked just now I found that this gnat had emerged and died. I'm keeping the specimen, so if any other views/details are needed for a further ID I can provide those--or if they're real tiny features I can use my microscope and report back.

Images of this individual: tag all
Fungus gnat - Leptomorphus hyalinus Fungus gnat - Leptomorphus hyalinus Fungus gnat - Leptomorphus hyalinus Fungus gnat - Leptomorphus hyalinus
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Contributed by Charley Eiseman on 20 September, 2008 - 11:34am
Last updated 2 December, 2008 - 11:48am

Moved
Moved from Fungus Gnats.
… Charley Eiseman, 2 December, 2008 - 11:48am login or register to post comments

Definitely Leptomorphus
Matt you're not wrong. This is Leptomorphus hyalinus This genus feeds as larvae on the undersides of bracket fungi where they spin a tight silk sheet that catches the fungal spores. the larvae then eat the spore-covered sheet and fill in the hole. When the larva is ready to pupate they hang a line between two points and then crawl to the centre and pupate. They look like a little hammock hanging under the surface of the fungus or next to the fungus under the log. Good find!
… Chris Borkent, 2 December, 2008 - 8:46am login or register to post comments

I may be wrong
but this appears to be the genus Leptomorphus. From your description of where it was collected (on a silk line under bracket fungi) I would be willing to bet I am correct.
… Matt Bertone, 1 December, 2008 - 8:55am login or register to post comments

 
Leptomorphus
Here is one of the larvae

don't know if that clinches it, but Matthias Buck has made the same suggestion on that image.
… Charley Eiseman, 1 December, 2008 - 11:20am login or register to post comments

Mycetophilidae
Nice images!
… Matthias Buck, 22 September, 2008 - 9:04am login or register to post comments

Very nice
Really cool. I wish I could help but I can't even tell them apart from Keroplatidae (Predatory Fungus Gnats)
… John R. Maxwell, 20 September, 2008 - 12:16pm login or register to post comments

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