Other Common Names
Mushroom Flies - Genus Lycoriella
Potato Scab Gnat - Pnyxia scabiei
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Formerly a subfamily in Mycetophilidae
Explanation of Names
sciar is Greek for dark-colored, shady
(1)Numbers
137 spp assigned to 20 genera per Arnett (1985)
(2)
170 spp per Eaton & Kaufman (2007)
(3)Size
Usually 5mm or less. (1-11 mm
(2))
Identification
Small dark flies.
Typical wing venation:
.
The larvae are white, slender, legless, with a black head and smooth semi-transparent skin revealing digestive tract contents.
Identification of adults at the species level is difficult, based primarily upon males which must be cleared with NaOH or KOH and mounted on slides, a somewhat delicate procedure. Type material must be seen to insure accuracy of determinations.
Range
The Sciaridae occur worldwide, even in extreme habitats like antarctic islands and mountainous regions above 4,000 meters. Others (like
Parapnyxia) are found in deserts, where they dig into the sand at extreme temperatures. Several species live exclusively in caves. However, most species live in forests, swamps, and moist meadows, where they live in the foliage. They are also often found in flowerpots. In moist and shadowy areas up to 70% of all Diptera species can be Sciaridae.
WikipediaHabitat
Moist, shady places. Larvae found on fungi, decaying vegetation, or plant roots.
Remarks
Sometimes abundant enough to form a crawling mass of several inches across and several feet long, similar to armyworm migrations.
(2).
They can be pests in green houses.
See Also
Mycetophilidae - Fungus Gnats
Print References
Borror & White, p. 270
(4)
Johannsen, O.A. 1912. The Mycetophilidae of North America, Part IV. Maine Agric. Exp. Sta. Bull., 200: 57-146.
Pettey, F.A. 1918. A revision of the genus Sciara of the family Mycetophilidae (Diptera). Ann. Ent. Soc. America 11: 319-343.
Steffan, W.A. 1966. A generic revision of the family Sciaridae (Diptera) of America north of Mexico. Univ. Calif. Publ. Ent. 44: 1-77.
