Suillia

Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830

truffle flies

Suillia is a of in the containing at least 130 described . Species are strongly associated with fungal fruiting bodies, particularly hypogeous in the genus Tuber. Larval development occurs inside fungal tissues, making some species economically significant pests of truffle . Males of at least one species exhibit territorial on mushroom basidiocarps.

Suillia plumata by (c) Katja Schulz, some rights reserved (CC BY). Used under a CC-BY license.

Suillia by (c) Katja Schulz, some rights reserved (CC BY). Used under a CC-BY license.

Suillia convergens by (c) Thomas Barbin, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Thomas Barbin. Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Suillia: /ˈswɪl.i.ə/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Images

Habitat

Fruiting bodies of , particularly hypogeous (below-ground) fungi such as Tuber and above-ground basidiocarps of mushrooms including Hebeloma radicosum. Larval development occurs within fungal tissues.

Distribution

Europe (including Poland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden); Asia (central Japan); North America (Vermont, United States).

Diet

develop inside and feed on fungal fruiting bodies. Specific dietary details for are not documented.

Host Associations

Tuber aestivum - larval development inside fruiting bodiesBurgundy truffle; confirmed for S. gigantea
Tuber - larval development inside fruiting bodies of hypogeous ; primary group for S. gigantea
Hebeloma radicosum - mating territory and likely sitebasidiocarps used as territorial mating sites by males; central Japan

Life Cycle

develop inside fungal fruiting bodies. emerge from within fungal tissues. Specific details of , pupal stages, and adult lifespan are not documented for the .

Behavior

Males of at least one exhibit territorial on mushroom basidiocarps, defending territories against intruding males and intercepting females arriving to oviposit.

Ecological Role

with larval development in fungal fruiting bodies. Some are significant pests of cultivated truffle , causing damage that leads to production losses.

Human Relevance

Some , particularly Suillia gigantea, are economically important pests of truffle production in Europe. Larval feeding inside truffle fruiting bodies causes damage leading to , generating interest in developing control methods for the truffle industry. The of S. variegata has been sequenced.

More Details

Genomic Resources

The of Suillia variegata (Loew, 1862) has been sequenced and published (PMCID: PMC11319907).

Molecular Identification

sequences for S. gigantea were first isolated in 2020, enabling molecular identification of this truffle-associated .