Family Ditomyiidae

Classification · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Identification · Range · Habitat · Internet References · Works Cited

Ditomyiidae, terminalia - dorsal - Symmerus vockerothi - male

Found these today on a hardwood log, Guemes Island WA - Symmerus

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Diptera (Flies)

No Taxon ("Nematocera" (Non-Brachycera))

Infraorder Bibionomorpha (Gnats, Gall Midges, and March Flies)

Superfamily Sciaroidea (Fungus Gnats and Gall Midges)

Family Ditomyiidae

Explanation of Names

Ditomyiidae Keilin 1919

Numbers

6 spp. in 2 genera in our area(1)(2), ~100 spp. in 8 genera total(3)

Identification

Distinguished from other fungus gnats by wing ventation: M-Cu crossvein present and R4 at least half as long as R5; SC short and ending free.

Range

all major zoogeographical regions exception Afrotropical; in our area, more diverse in the east, with only the subgenus Symmerus (Psilosymmerus) represented in the west(2)

Habitat

Symmerus larvae were reported from rotting logs of dead wood; those of Ditomyia, from Polyporus fungi(4)

Internet References

(5)

Works Cited

1.	American Insects: A Handbook of the Insects of America North of Mexico Ross H. Arnett. 2000. CRC Press.

2.	The Systematics, Phylogeny, and Zoogeography of Symmerus Walker and Australosymmerus Freeman (Mycetophilidae: Ditomyiinae) Munroe, Donald Douglas. 1974. Memoirs of the Entomological Society of Canada - No. 92.

3.	Order Diptera Linnaeus, 1758. In: Zhang Z.-Q. (ed.) Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification... Pape T., Blagoderov V., Mostovski M.B. 2011. Zootaxa 3148: 222–229.

4.	Mycetophilidae: (Bolitophilinae, Ditomyiinae, Diadocidiinae, Keroplatinae, Sciophilinae and Manotinae) - Diptera, Nematocera Hutson, A. M.; Ackland, D. M. & Kidd, L. N. 1980. Royal Entomological Society of London.

5.	Fungus Gnats Online

Contributed by Martin Hauser on 5 November, 2010 - 12:18pm
Additional contributions by Vox Sciurorum, v belov
Last updated 25 December, 2014 - 10:45pm

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2024 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by:

Printer Friendly Version