Mushroom-pest
Guides
Bradysia
darkwinged fungus gnats, indoor soil gnats
Bradysia is a large genus of sciarid fungus gnats comprising over 500 described species. The genus is best known for species that are major agricultural pests, particularly in greenhouse and indoor cultivation settings where larvae feed on plant roots and fungi. Several species, including B. cellarum, B. impatiens, and B. odoriphaga, have been extensively studied for their economic impact on liliaceous crops, edible fungi, and ornamental plants. The genus also includes species that function as pollinators of certain winter-flowering plants.
Coboldia
minute black scavenger flies
Coboldia is a genus of minute black scavenger flies in the family Scatopsidae, established by Melander in 1916. The genus is best known from Coboldia fuscipes, a small fly 2–3 mm in body length associated with decomposing organic matter and fungal substrates. Species in this genus occur in the Palearctic region and have been documented in Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway, Sweden) and Korea, where C. fuscipes is a recognized pest of oyster mushroom cultivation.
Dacne picta
Dacne picta is a small beetle in the family Erotylidae (pleasing fungus beetles). It has been documented as a major pest of cultivated shiitake mushrooms (Lentinula edodes), with laboratory studies demonstrating chemotactic behavioral responses to host odors from all growing stages of the mushroom. The species has a broad geographic distribution spanning North America, Oceania, and Southern Asia.
Mycophila
wood midges
Mycophila is a genus of cecidomyiid midges established by Ephraim Porter Felt in 1911, comprising seven described species. Species within this genus are associated with fungal substrates, with some documented as pests of cultivated mushrooms. The genus exhibits diverse reproductive strategies including paedogenesis and parthenogenesis. At least three species have been recorded from China, with additional species known from North America and Europe.
Sciaridae
dark-winged fungus gnats, black fungus gnats
Sciaridae are a family of small, dark-colored flies commonly known as dark-winged fungus gnats. Adults range from 1–11 mm in length, typically under 5 mm. The family is among the least studied of the large Diptera families due to small size and taxonomic difficulty. Approximately 1,700 species are described globally, with an estimated 20,000 species awaiting discovery, primarily in tropical regions. Larvae develop in moist, decaying organic matter and play significant roles in decomposition and nutrient cycling.