Sciarid Fly

Genus/Species Lycoriella solani, Lycoriella mali, Lycorietla auripila Common Names Sciarid Fly, Big Fly... 

Secondary damage to mushroom crops by sciarid flies comes from their role as carriers of mites and diseases, including the pathogens Verticilliumand Trichoderma. A single sciarid fly can carry up to 20 mites ... 

Presently inexplicable anaphase motions certainly occur. Outstanding examples are the spermatocyte divisions in sciarid flies (reviewed by Metz, 1938) and the beetle Micromalthus (Scott, 1936). Regrettably, neither fine structure nor living cell studies have yet been done on such materials. Therefore, we do not even know exactly how mitosis here differs from better characterized forms. 

We have already pointed out that selective gene amplification would represent an attractive hypothesis as a mechanism for cell differentiation. However, evidence for the occurrence of somatic gene amplification is scanty. DNA puffing in polytene chromosomes of sciarid flies is still the best example for somatic gene amplification, although no clear function can be ascribed to the DNA puffs. Thus, the currently available evidence suggests that gene amplification is unimportant in cell differen-tiative mechanisms. 

Kostelc, J.G., B.J. Garcia, G.W. Gokel, and L.B. Hendry Macrocyclic Polyethers as Probes into Pheromone Receptor Mechanisms of a Sciarid Fly, Lycoriella mali. Fitch. J. Chem. Ecol. 5,179-185 (1979). 

Alberts, S. A., Kennedy, M. K. and Carde, R. T. (1981) Pheromone-mediated anemo-tactic flight and mating behavior of the sciarid fly Bradysis impatiens. Env. Ent., 10, 10-15. 

Figure 234 Wing venation of mushroom flies clockwise from top right, Leptocera, Sciarid, Cecid and Phorid.

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