Fungus Flies
Fungus Flies
(Fungivoridae, or Mycetophilidae), a group of Nematocera insects of the order Diptera. The legs are relatively long with well-developed spines on the tibia. There are some 2,500 genera, found throughout the world. In the USSR there are approximately 500 genera. The adult insects are found in damp locations, shaded forests, caves, and the like. The larvae have a developed head but no legs; they live in fungi, damp earth, or rotten wood and feed on mycelia. Pupa formation occurs either in the open or in cocoons of silklike filaments. Some types are found in winter on snow during thaws.