NEMATOCERA, Bibionomorpha, Sciaroidea

Number of British species: 16

Size: S

Difficulty: 3

Scheme: Covered by the Fungus gnat recording scheme

Small to medium sized (4-7 mm), delicate, greyish brown Nematocera with long, slender legs and abdomen and a characteristic wing venation (e.g. basal position of crossvein BM-Cu). Head and eyes small; ocelli present; antenna conspicuously long and slender, sometimes with long verticils. Thorax much vaulted. Wing clear or with banded markings along the crossveins; anal lobe weak or absent. Coxae elongate; tibiae with apical bristles or spurs.

The biology of this small family is little known. The larvae all develop in terrestrial mushrooms. The adults are mainly found in moist surroundings and alongside water in well wooded areas.

Chandler (1978b), Chandler (1987b), Chandler (1992b), Edwards (1913), Edwards (1925), Edwards (1941), Hutson et al. (1980)