Keroplatidae

Definition

A family of small nematoceran flies (Diptera) commonly called fungus gnats, characterized by larvae that inhabit damp forest substrates and caves where they feed on fungi, prey on small invertebrates, and spin silk webs using acidic secretions to capture prey and spores. The family includes approximately 950 described species and encompasses the long-beaked fungus gnats (subfamily Lygistorrhininae), formerly treated as a separate family. Notable members include three genera with bioluminescent larvae.

Etymology

Example

Larvae of the keroplatid genus Arachnocampa spin sticky silk threads dotted with acidic mucus droplets to trap small arthropods in New Zealand caves, while related genera such as Orfelia and Mycomya produce bioluminescent glows from their larval bodies.

Related Terms

• Mycetophilidae
• Diptera
• fungus gnat
• Bioluminescence
• Lygistorrhininae
• Arachnocampa
• mycophagy
• predatory larvae

Usage Notes

Distinguished from the closely related Mycetophilidae by larval web-spinning behavior and predatory habits; some authorities historically separated Lygistorrhinidae as a distinct family, but molecular and morphological evidence supports its placement as subfamily Lygistorrhininae within Keroplatidae. The family is not monophyletic in some older classifications, and species diversity is considered substantially underestimated.