Family Mycetophilidae - Fungus Gnats

Mycetophilidae Newman 1834

ca. 620 spp. in >70 genera in our area(1), >4,500 spp. in 233 genera total(2)

2.2-13.5 mm(1)

cosmopolitan, well-represented in forested areas worldwide(3)

mostly wet forests; also quite common in swamps; some live in the moister parts of heath and open grassland. Larvae mainly bound to the sporophores of fleshy Basidiomycetes, others (esp. Mycomyinae, Sciophilinae, and Leiinae) spin glutinous webs under sporophores or under bark of dead trunks and branches.(3)

Spores and/or hyphae of fleshy Basidiomycetes; some species can be bred from Polyporaceae (bracket fungi) and rarely from Ascomycetes and Myxomycetes. A few species are monophagous or polyphagous, but the majority of species are restricted to particular genera or families of fungi. Some of the web-spinning larvae are predaceous and others mycophagous. A few exotic species live on mosses and liverworts.(3)

The distinctive black-headed larvae abundant in mushrooms belong to this family.(4)

The flowers of Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema) lure and trap adult fungus gnats with their fungus smell and accomplish pollination by these means.