Corresponding author: Sarah Siqueira Oliveira (
Academic editor: Vladimir Blagoderov
Members of the family
We report the first association between
A number of papers have been published on the biology of mycetophilids, indicating their association with fungi in the Palearctic and Nearctic (
Samples of fungi were collected in two different areas of Brazil, one in the State of Goiás (by FFA) and another in the northeast part of the State of São Paulo (by CJB and SSO). Both these areas have a biome classified as Semi-deciduous Forest, with a dry season from June to September. The fungi samples with mycetophilid larvae were transferred to plastic jars covered by a fine mesh. Samples were misted daily with water to maintain humidity. Five adults emerged from the fungi. All material examined, with the exception of the holotype, was kept pinned, preserved in 80% alcohol, or on slides, and housed in the
Methods for the preparation of specimens, photos and illustrations follow
Head capsule relatively well sclerotized (Figs
One pair of prothoracic, and seven pairs of abdominal, lateral spiracles; prothoracic spiracle only slightly larger than abdominal ones. Spiracles on short, scale-like sclerite with a couple of small openings. Intersegmental areas with creeping welts (fleshy lobes slightly elongated across the body bearing rows of denticles – Fig.
Larvae were found on two different species of polypore fungus, indicating that this species can feed on multiple fungi species, as found in other genera of the family (
Larvae of
The use of immature data for a phylogenetic reconstruction of the relationships within the
With increased information on the natural history of this and related
The authors are very thankful to Juliano Marcon Baltazar (Msc., Programa de Pós-Graduação em Botânica. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, UFRGS, Brazil) for the fungi identifications. SSO benefited from Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) 2012/51577-3; FFA from FAPESP 2012/02441-1; CJB from a FQRNT Postdoctoral fellowship held during this project; and DSA from CNPq 314371/2009-5 and 457912/2012-0. We also deeply thank Maria Isabel Proti de Andrade Balbi for helping us so amiably with specimen preparation. Jukka Salmela, Olavi Kurina and Vladimir Blagoderov provided very helpful criticisms and suggestions of the manuscript.
Dorsal view.
Ventral view.
Male.
Female.
Ventrolateral view.
Ventrolateral view.
Ventral view.
Ventral view.
Ventral view of fruiting body of
Larvae on ventral face of Goiás fungus, showing webs and slime trails produced by the larvae.
Detail of larvae on ventral face of Goiás fungus, showing webs and slime trails produced by the larvae.
Larva (pre-pupa), ventral view, hanging in its own silk in preparation for pupation. Substrate upside down.
Detail of larva (pre-pupa), ventral view, hanging in its own silk in preparation for pupation. Substrate upside down.
Larva (pre-pupa), frontal view, hanging in its own silk in preparation for pupation. Substrate upside down.
Detail of larva (pre-pupa), frontal view, hanging in its own silk in preparation for pupation.
Male pupal exuvia (ventral).
Male imago (dorsolateral).
Female pupal exuvia (lateral).
Larva intersegmental areas with creeping welts bearing rows of denticles.