Sciaroidea

Superfamily of flies

Sciaroidea
The Hessian fly (Mayetiola destructor, Cecidomyiidae)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Infraorder: Bibionomorpha
Superfamily: Sciaroidea

Sciaroidea is a superfamily in the infraorder Bibionomorpha. There are about 16 families and more than 15,000 described species in Sciaroidea. Most of its constituent families are various gnats.

Description

As nematoceran flies, sciaroid adults generally have long segmented antennae, while their larvae have a well-developed head and mouthparts.[1]

Aside from this, sciaroids vary in appearance. For example, Sciaridae adults have each eye extended dorsally to form an "eye bridge", a feature not found in related families.[2] Cecidomyiidae adults have a distinctive reduced wing venation, while their larvae are atypical for nematoceran larvae in having a very small head capsule.[3]

Ecology

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.[5]

Some species of Sciaridae and Cecidomyiidae are among the rare Diptera that spend their entire lives in soil. These are wingless as adults.[6]

Sciaroid larvae typically feed on fungi but there are some which form plant galls (many Cecidomyiidae) or prey on other invertebrates (Keroplatidae).[citation needed]

Phylogeny

A 2016 molecular phylogenetic analysis confirmed that Sciaroidea is a monophyletic group and should include both Cecidomyiidae and Ditomyiidae.[7]

Families

These 15 families belong to the superfamily Sciaroidea:[8]

References

  1. ^ "Suborder Nematocera - Flies (Order: Diptera) - Amateur Entomologists' Society (AES)". www.amentsoc.org. Retrieved 2022-10-20.
  2. ^ "Diptera | What Bug Is That?". anic.csiro.au. Retrieved 2022-10-20.
  3. ^ "Diptera | What Bug Is That?". anic.csiro.au. Retrieved 2022-10-20.
  4. ^ Salmela, Jukka; Kolcsár, Levente-Péter (2017-06-03). "New and poorly known Palaearctic fungus gnats (Diptera, Sciaroidea)". Biodiversity Data Journal. 5 (5): e11760. doi:10.3897/BDJ.5.e11760. ISSN 1314-2828. PMC 5345105. PMID 28325987.
  5. ^ Gibb, Timothy (2015), "Pest Insects", Contemporary Insect Diagnostics, Elsevier, pp. 153–245, doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-404623-8.00005-3, ISBN 978-0-12-404623-8, retrieved 2022-10-20
  6. ^ Frouz, Jan (1999), "Use of soil dwelling Diptera (Insecta, Diptera) as bioindicators: a review of ecological requirements and response to disturbance", Invertebrate Biodiversity as Bioindicators of Sustainable Landscapes, Elsevier, pp. 167–186, doi:10.1016/b978-0-444-50019-9.50013-3, ISBN 978-0-444-50019-9, retrieved 2022-10-20
  7. ^ Ševčík, Jan; Kaspřák, David; Mantič, Michal; Fitzgerald, Scott; Ševčíková, Tereza; Tóthová, Andrea; Jaschhof, Mathias (2016-10-18). "Molecular phylogeny of the megadiverse insect infraorder Bibionomorpha sensu lato (Diptera)". PeerJ. 4: e2563. doi:10.7717/peerj.2563. ISSN 2167-8359. PMC 5075709. PMID 27781163.
  8. ^ Greenwalt, D.; Kjærandsen, J. (2019). "Fungus Gnats Online". Retrieved 2019-06-06.
  9. ^ Jaschhof, M.; Didham, R. K. (2002). "Rangomaramidae fam. nov. from New Zealand and implications for the phylogeny of the Sciaroidea (Diptera: Bibionomorpha)". Studia Dipterologica Supplement. 11: 1–60.

External links

  • Data related to Sciaroidea at Wikispecies
  • Media related to Sciaroidea at Wikimedia Commons
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Extant Diptera families
Suborder Nematocera
Axymyiomorpha
Culicomorpha
Culicoidea
  • Dixidae (meniscus midges)
  • Corethrellidae (frog-biting midges)
  • Chaoboridae (phantom midges)
  • Culicidae (mosquitoes)
Chironomoidea
  • Thaumaleidae (solitary midges)
  • Simuliidae (black flies)
  • Ceratopogonidae (biting midges)
  • Chironomidae (non-biting midges)
Blephariceromorpha
  • Blephariceridae (net-winged midges)
  • Deuterophlebiidae (mountain midges)
  • Nymphomyiidae
Bibionomorpha
Bibionoidea
  • Bibionidae (march flies, lovebugs)
Anisopodoidea
  • Anisopodidae (wood gnats)
Sciaroidea
(fungus gnats)
Perissommatomorpha
Psychodomorpha
Scatopsoidea
Psychodoidea
  • Psychodidae (moth flies)
Ptychopteromorpha
  • Ptychopteridae (phantom crane flies)
  • Tanyderidae (primitive crane flies)
Tipulomorpha
Trichoceroidea
  • Trichoceridae (winter crane flies)
Tipuloidea
(crane flies)
  • Cylindrotomidae (long-bodied crane flies)
  • Limoniidae (limoniid crane flies)
  • Pediciidae (hairy-eyed craneflies)
  • Tipulidae (large crane flies)
Suborder Brachycera
Asilomorpha
Asiloidea
Empidoidea
Nemestrinoidea
  • Acroceridae (small-headed flies)
  • Nemestrinidae (tangle-veined flies)
Muscomorpha
Aschiza
Platypezoidea
  • Ironomyiidae (ironic flies)
  • Lonchopteridae (spear-winged flies)
  • Opetiidae (flat-footed flies)
  • Phoridae (scuttle flies, coffin flies, humpbacked flies)
  • Platypezidae (flat-footed flies)
Syrphoidea
  • Pipunculidae (big-headed flies)
  • Syrphidae (hoverflies)
Schizophora
Acalyptratae
Conopoidea
  • Conopidae (thick-headed flies)
Tephritoidea
  • Pallopteridae (flutter flies)
  • Piophilidae (cheese flies)
  • Platystomatidae (signal flies)
  • Pyrgotidae
  • Richardiidae
  • Tephritidae (peacock flies)
  • Ulidiidae (picture-winged flies)
Nerioidea
  • Cypselosomatidae
  • Micropezidae (stilt-legged flies)
  • Neriidae (cactus flies, banana stalk flies)
Diopsoidea
Sciomyzoidea
Sphaeroceroidea
Lauxanioidea
Opomyzoidea
Ephydroidea
  • Camillidae
  • Curtonotidae (quasimodo flies)
  • Diastatidae (bog flies)
  • Drosophilidae (vinegar and fruit flies)
  • Ephydridae (shore flies)
  • Mormotomyiidae (frightful hairy fly)
Carnoidea
Lonchaeoidea
Calyptratae
Muscoidea
  • Anthomyiidae (cabbage flies)
  • Fanniidae (little house flies)
  • Muscidae (house flies, stable flies)
  • Scathophagidae (dung flies)
Oestroidea
Hippoboscoidea
  • Glossinidae (tsetse flies)
  • Hippoboscidae (louse flies)
  • Nycteribiidae (bat flies)
  • Streblidae (bat flies)
Stratiomyomorpha
Stratiomyoidea
  • Pantophthalmidae (timber flies)
  • Stratiomyidae (soldier flies)
  • Xylomyidae (wood soldier flies)
Tabanomorpha
Rhagionoidea
Tabanoidea
Vermileonomorpha
Vermileonoidea
Xylophagomorpha
Xylophagoidea
  • Xylophagidae (awl flies)
Taxon identifiers
Sciaroidea