Sciaridae
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Sciara |
Sciaridae is a family of flies, commonly known as dark-winged fungus gnats. This is one of the least studied of the large Diptera families, probably due to the small size of these insects and the difficulty in specific identification. There are currently around 1700 described species but there are estimated to be up to 20,000 species awaiting discovery, mainly in the tropics.
The life history of only a few species has been studied in any detail, mainly those which are pests of commerciallly grown mushrooms. Sciarid larvae are mainly found in soil and plant litter where they seem to feed mainly on fungi and animal faeces.
Sciarids are fairly common in amber deposits, the earliest known fossils dating from the Cretaceous period.
[edit] Family Description
See [1]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Expert website (Frank Menzel)
- Taxonomy and phylogeny of Sciaridae
- Family description
- Fossil Diptera catalog
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