next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
previous message in thread
Index of Subjects
Index of Subjects Hi Dave et al: as to their identity, the flies most associated with fungi are usually called fungus gnats, the name given to a large nematoceran family of flies, the Mycetophilidae. As for many flies, the larval cycle is often unknown, but for many species the larva are known or believed to feed on fungi or in rotting wood (or the fungi therein) -- says Vockeroth, in the Manual of Nearctic Diptera. Some Mycetophilidae also emit light as larvae, pupae and adults, the most spectacular being the 'glow worm' residents of certain New Zealand caves. These 'worms' are mycetophilid maggots, genus Arachnocampa, and are carnivorous on other insects, not mycetophagous. The adult flies don't feed and live only a few days. My colleague is back here working on jumping bugs again, mostly making high speed films of the jumps. Jumping mycetophylid larvae are unknown to us and it would be of some interest to look at these to see how they do it with the muscular system that they have, which is known in great detail in flies like the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Insects like bugs or grasshoppers that jump explosively can't do it by direct muscle contraction, but achieve this by having the muscles slowly distort some associated mechanical structure in order to store large amounts of energy. A catch is then triggered to release this energy which is delivered very rapidly to power the jump, much like firing a crossbow. It is difficult to see how a fly larva of the type that's known could do this crossbow trick, but evolution has done some remarkable things. If Dave or any one else can conjure up some jumping fly larvae, we'd love to collect a few of them to have a look. Steve Halifax On 1-Oct-10, at 8:51 PM, David & Alison Webster wrote: > Hi All, Oct 1, 2010 > There may well be flies that lay eggs only on rotting fungi but in > many cases the eggs are laid and the maggots feed for some time before > macroscopic onset of rot. > > I recall seeing these jumping maggots only once (don't recall which > fungus but there are notes somewhere) and they have to be seen to be > appreciated, > > Yt, Dave Webster > ----- Original Message ----- From: "James W. Wolford" > <jimwolford@eastlink.ca> > To: "NatureNS" <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>; "John Gilhen" > <GILHENJA@gov.ns.ca> > Cc: "Nancy Nickerson" <nicknl@ns.sympatico.ca>; "Jim Wolford" > <jimwolford@eastlink.ca> > Sent: Friday, October 01, 2010 6:14 PM > Subject: [NatureNS] Re: salamander and mushrooms > > >> Thanks, John, I will send this to NatureNS and to Nancy Nickerson who >> posted the sighting. One of the types of skinny fly maggots are >> colloquially called "skippers" because of their mysterious ability to >> JUMP considerable distances. And I know from experience decades ago >> that rotting mushrooms of a variety of kinds can be riddled with slim >> maggot larvae of flies -- I wonder how much biodiversity we are >> speaking of? Cheers from Jim >> >> On 1-Oct-10, at 9:34 AM, John Gilhen wrote: >> >>> Hi Jim; >> >>> Eastern Red-backed Salamanders seem to be attracted to mushrooms as >>> they are habitat for a small species of fly. I believe there is a >>> whole >>> family of flies that invade mushrooms as they begin to rot. On damp >>> foggy or rainy nights I see these Red-backed Salamanders foraging >>> on the >>> small flies and their larvae. They will also climb the trunks of >>> maple >>> trees and forage among the lichens where small spiders and other >>> small >>> invertebrates hang out. >>> >>>>>> "James W. Wolford" <jimwolford@eastlink.ca> 9/29/2010 5:42 PM >>> >>> >>> >>> Begin forwarded message: >>> >>>> From: Nancy Nickerson <nicknl@ns.sympatico.ca> >>>> Date: September 29, 2010 4:18:36 PM ADT >>>> To: "'James W. Wolford'" <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>, 'Andy Davis' >>>> <akdavis@uga.edu>, 'andy dean' <aadean@ns.sympatico.ca> >>>> Subject: Salamanders and mushrooms >>>> >>>> Hi all: >>>> >>>> In Palmeters Woods (west Kentville) yesterday morning I found an >>>> eastern redback salamander under a fruitbody of Lactarius >>>> deceptivus. This is a large white mushroom that often exceeds 15 cm >>> >>>> in diameter and grows close to the ground. Presumably the space >>>> between the lower surface of the mushroom’s cap and the soil >>>> provides a moist, sheltered habitat for the salamander. Several >>>> years ago I found an e.r. salamander under the same species of >>>> mushroom in Clairmont Provincial Park. >>>> >>>> Nancy
next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
previous message in thread
Index of Subjects