Ad
related to: fungus gnats larvae in soil identification diagram pdf
Search results
Results From The WOW.Com Content Network
Other methods for controlling fungus gnats include drenching the soil annually in an insecticidal soap. Hydrogen peroxide can be mixed with water and used to kill fungus gnat larvae in infected soil with a mixture of one part 3% hydrogen peroxide mixed with four parts water, then applied to the soil.
Most fungus gnats (Sciaroidea excluding Cecidomyiidae) live in forests with their larvae occurring in fungi, dead wood and soil. There are some which live in wetlands such as fens . [ 4 ] Several genera of Sciaridae and Mycetophilidae may reach high abundances in damp buildings with wet organic matter.
The diet of most larvae is exclusively fungal, but some members of this family are predators. [2] Adults do not cause damage to plants, but lay 2 small eggs on the surface of moist soil (5–8 cm). Larvae, translucent, legless worms with a black "head" measuring 8–10 mm, later emerge from the eggs. The mouthparts are gnawing.
Adult Sciaridae are small, dark flies 1–11 mm long and usually <5 mm long. [4] They have a characteristic wing venation: there is no cross vein except for a short rs at the wing base, the anterior veins are a short R1 and a long R5, vein M has a simple fork with a long stem, and CuA1 has a fork with a short stem.
Keroplatidae is a family of small flies known as fungus gnats.About 950 species are described, but the true number of species is undoubtedly much higher. The long-beaked fungus gnats, formerly placed in a separate family Lygistorrhinidae, have been placed into Keroplatidae as subfamily Lygistorrhininae. [1]
The larvae eat fungus spores which grow upon the webbing to sustain themselves, mainly from saprophytic species of fungus that feed on decaying plant matter. [2] The webbing built by the larvae likely also provides a protective environment against predators as larvae have been observed retreating when the webbing is suddenly vibrated. [ 2 ]
In general, gnats go through the four life stages of egg, larva, pupa and adult, [6] similar to other flies. The fungus gnats lay their eggs in moist organic debris or soil, which hatch into larvae. The larvae feed on organic matter such as leaf mold, mulch, compost, grass clippings, root hairs and fungi.
The larvae of Bolitophila are mycetophagous and live in decaying wood or other organic debris overgrown by fungal plant substrates. Pupation takes place inside the fungal mycelium in soil or litter. Adults prefer shady and humid environments and can be found in the undergrowth of mixed forests, often near watercourses.