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Megaselia Halterata
The mushroom phorid fly ''(Megaselia halterata)'' is a species of scuttle fly or hump-backed flies in the family Phoridae. "The mushroom phorid" is also used to refer to ''M. halterata''. ''Megaselia halterata'' is a common pest of mushroom cultivation, attracted by the aroma of developing fungal mycelium. The larvae damage both the mushroom mycelium and gill tissues. ''Megaslia halterata'' can be found worldwide. ''Megaselia halterata'' is an important pest of mushroom cultivation, capable of severely limiting mushroom yield. ''Megaselia'' are naturally infected by '' Howardula'' nematodes, however entomopathogenic nematodes do not readily control ''M. halterata.'' Physical appearance Adult mushroom phorid flies are 2-3mm in length with a blackish-brown color. Their antennae are short, with only three segments. Belonging to the "Hump-backed flies" (Phoridae), they have a prominent-looking back side See also * ''Megaselia scalaris The fly ''Megaselia scalaris'' is a member ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Scuttle Fly
The fly ''Megaselia scalaris'' is a member of the order Diptera and the family Phoridae, and it is widely distributed in warm regions of the world. The family members are commonly known as the "humpbacked fly", the "coffin fly", and the "scuttle fly". The name "scuttle fly" derives from the jerky, short bursts of running, characteristic to the adult fly. The name "coffin fly" is due to their being found in coffins, digging six feet deep in order to reach buried corpses. It is one of the more common species found within the family Phoridae; more than 370 species have been identified within North America. Taxonomy ''Megaselia scalaris'' was described by the German entomologist Hermann Loew in 1866. Description Adults of this species are about 2 mm long and yellowish with dark markings. The labellum and labrum have trichoid and conical sensilla, and the labellum's ventral surface has five pairs of sharp teeth. The hind femur has hairs below its basal half and these are shorter ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Phoridae
The Phoridae are a family of small, hump-backed flies resembling fruit flies. Phorid flies can often be identified by their escape habit of running rapidly across a surface rather than taking to the wing. This behaviour is a source of one of their alternate names, scuttle fly. Another vernacular name, coffin fly, refers to '' Conicera tibialis''. About 4,000 species are known in 230 genera. The most well-known species is cosmopolitan ''Megaselia scalaris''. At 0.4 mm in length, the world's smallest fly is the phorid ''Euryplatea nanaknihali''. Description For terms see Morphology of Diptera Phorid flies are minute or small – 0.5–6 mm (– in) in length. When viewed from the side, a pronounced hump to the thorax is seen. Their colours range from usually black or brown to more rarely yellow, orange, pale grey, and pale white. The head is usually rounded and in some species narrowed towards the vertex. The vertex is flat. In some species, the ocellar callus i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mycelium
Mycelium (plural mycelia) is a root-like structure of a fungus consisting of a mass of branching, thread-like hyphae. Fungal colonies composed of mycelium are found in and on soil and many other substrate (biology), substrates. A typical single spore germinates into a Monokaryon, monokaryotic mycelium, which cannot reproduce sexually; when two compatible monokaryotic mycelia join and form a dikaryotic mycelium, that mycelium may form sporocarp (fungi), fruiting bodies such as mushrooms. A mycelium may be minute, forming a colony that is too small to see, or may grow to span thousands of acres as in ''Armillaria''. Through the mycelium, a fungus absorbs nutrients from its environment. It does this in a two-stage process. First, the hyphae secrete enzymes onto or into the food source, which break down biopolymers, biological polymers into smaller units such as monomers. These monomers are then absorbed into the mycelium by facilitated diffusion and active transport. Mycelia are v ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Howardula
''Howardula'' is a genus of nematode that infests the larvae of mushroom-feeding flies, beetles, and other insects. Various ''Howardula'' species and strains infest mushroom-feeding Drosophila, including ''Howardula aoronymphium'' and '' Howardula neocosmis''. '' Howardula husseyi'' can infest the mushroom phorid ''Megaselia halterata''. Life cycle The life cycle of ''Howardula'' nematodes begins inside the host fly, where infective juvenile nematodes are released by either the fly anus or ovipositor onto mushrooms. There, the juvenile nematodes mature and mate. Mated females will then pierce the cuticle of a fly larva using a specialized stylet, and enter the fly hemolymph (insect blood) where the nematode resides. Over the course of the fly host's metamorphosis, the female nematode matures into an adult stage called the motherworm. After the adult fly emerges from its pupa, the motherworm begins releasing juvenile nematodes directly into the hemocoel, renewing the cycle. Other ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Entomopathogenic Nematodes
Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) are a group of nematodes (thread worms), that cause death to insects. The term ''entomopathogenic'' has a Greek origin, with ''entomon'', meaning ''insect'', and ''pathogenic'', which means ''causing disease''. They are animals that occupy a bio control middle ground between microbial pathogens and predator/parasitoids, and are habitually grouped with pathogens, most likely because of their symbiotic relationship with bacteria. Although many other parasitic thread worms cause diseases in living organisms (sterilizing or otherwise debilitating their host), entomopathogenic nematodes, are specific in only infecting insects. Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) live parasitically inside the infected insect host, and so they are termed as ''endoparasitic''. They infect many different types of insects living in the soil like the larval forms of moths, butterflies, flies and beetles as well as adult forms of beetles, grasshoppers and crickets. EPNs have been ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Megaselia Scalaris
The fly ''Megaselia scalaris'' is a member of the order Diptera and the family Phoridae, and it is widely distributed in warm regions of the world. The family members are commonly known as the "humpbacked fly", the "coffin fly", and the "scuttle fly". The name "scuttle fly" derives from the jerky, short bursts of running, characteristic to the adult fly. The name "coffin fly" is due to their being found in coffins, digging six feet deep in order to reach buried corpses. It is one of the more common species found within the family Phoridae; more than 370 species have been identified within North America. Taxonomy ''Megaselia scalaris'' was described by the German entomologist Hermann Loew in 1866. Description Adults of this species are about 2 mm long and yellowish with dark markings. The labellum and labrum have trichoid and conical sensilla, and the labellum's ventral surface has five pairs of sharp teeth. The hind femur has hairs below its basal half and these are shorter ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
