fungus gnat

fungus gnat
any of several mosquitolike insects of the family Mycetophilidae, the larvae of which feed on fungi or decaying vegetation.
[1880-85]

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insect
also called  mushroom fly  or  dark-winged fungus gnat 
 any member of two families of insects in the fly order, Diptera, that are small and mosquito-like with maggots (larvae) that feed on fungi. In Sciaridae, the dark-winged fungus gnat family, the eyes of the adults almost touch, and the wings are usually dusky. The creamy-white or gray larvae of the genus Sciara may travel in large groups, migrating in snakelike lines 1 cm (0.4 inch) deep in search of food or when ready to enter a resting stage (pupa). Some species of Sciara and some mycetophilids attack mushroom beds and have been known to completely destroy them; S. tritici damages the roots of wheat.

      The family Mycetophilidae contains only a few injurious species. The wingless adult female of Pnyxia scabiei bores into potato tubers and causes scabs. Platyura larvae are predatory, feeding on small insects and worms that are killed by oxalic acid secreted on the loose, slimy webs that the larvae secrete. Larvae of several species are luminous (bioluminescence). One of these, Arachnocampa luminosa, is found in caves in New Zealand. It spins webs with hanging sticky strands to catch flying insects for food.

      Some fungus gnats can be pests in indoor plants because they can develop in the moist environment in potted soil and emerge in large numbers.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Fungus gnat — Fungus gnats are small, dark, short lived flies, of the families Sciaridae, Diadocidiidae, Ditomyiidae, Keroplatidae, Bolitophilidae and Mycetophilidae (order Diptera), sometimes placed in the superfamily Mycetophiloidea, whose larvae feed on… …   Wikipedia

  • fungus gnat — см. Приложение 1 (Sciara coprophila). (Источник: «Англо русский толковый словарь генетических терминов». Арефьев В.А., Лисовенко Л.А., Москва: Изд во ВНИРО, 1995 г.) …   Молекулярная биология и генетика. Толковый словарь.

  • fungus gnat — fungus gnat. См. ратный червь. (Источник: «Англо русский толковый словарь генетических терминов». Арефьев В.А., Лисовенко Л.А., Москва: Изд во ВНИРО, 1995 г.) …   Молекулярная биология и генетика. Толковый словарь.

  • fungus gnat — noun Date: 1884 any of various small dipteran flies (families Mycetophilidae and Sciaridae) resembling mosquitoes and having larvae that feed on fungi and decaying organic matter …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • fungus gnat — noun 1. minute blackish gregarious flies destructive to mushrooms and seedlings • Syn: ↑sciara, ↑sciarid • Hypernyms: ↑dipterous insect, ↑two winged insects, ↑dipteran, ↑dipteron • …   Useful english dictionary

  • Gnat — (PronEng|næt, nat ) is a colloquial name for many small insects in the order Diptera and specifically within the suborder Nematocera. The males often assemble together in large mating swarms, particularly at dusk, called a ghost .Gnat larvae are… …   Wikipedia

  • gnat — gnatlike, adj. /nat/, n. 1. any of certain small flies, esp. the biting gnats or punkies of the family Ceratopogonidae, the midges of the family Chironomidae, and the black flies of the family Simuliidae. 2. Brit. mosquito. 3. strain at a gnat… …   Universalium

  • Sciara (gnat) — Sciara Sciara analis Schiner, 1864 Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia …   Wikipedia

  • Hypoaspis miles — Taxobox | name = Hypoaspis miles regnum = Animalia phylum = Arthropoda classis = Arachnida subclassis = Acari ordo = Parasitiformes familia = Laelapidae subfamilia = Hypoaspidinae genus = Hypoaspis species = H. miles binomial = Hypoaspis miles… …   Wikipedia

  • Arachnocampa — Taxobox name = Arachnocampa image caption = Arachnocampa luminosa larvae regnum = Animalia phylum = Arthropoda subphylum = Hexapoda classis = Insecta subclassis = Pterygota infraclassis = Neoptera superordo = Endopterygota| ordo = Diptera subordo …   Wikipedia

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