Megaselia halterata

Megaselia halterata
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Diptera
Family:	Phoridae
Genus:	Megaselia
Species:	M. halterata
Binomial name
Megaselia halterata (Wood, 1910)

The mushroom phorid fly(Megaselia halterata) is a species of scuttle fly or hump-backed flies in the family Phoridae. "The mushroom phorid" is also used to refer to M. halterata. ^[1] Megaselia halterata is a common pest of mushroom cultivation, attracted by the aroma of developing fungal mycelium. The larvae damage both the mushroom mycelium and gill tissues. ^[2] Megaslia halterata can be found worldwide. ^[3]

Megaselia halterata is an important pest of mushroom cultivation, capable of severely limiting mushroom yield. Megaselia are naturally infected by Howardula nematodes, ^[4] however entomopathogenic nematodes do not readily control M. halterata. ^{[5] [6]}

Physical appearance

Adult mushroom phorid flies are 2-3mm in length with a blackish-brown color. Their antennae are short, with only three segments. Belonging to the "Hump-backed flies" (Phoridae), they have a prominent-looking back side ^[7]

See also

• Megaselia scalaris , a related species used in forensic entomology

References

1. Baker et al. 2019. Pennsylvania State University Fact Sheet. https://ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/phorid-flies-mushroom
2. Johal, Kuldip; Disney, R. H. L. (1994). "Phoridae (Diptera) as pests of cultivated oyster mushrooms (Agaricales: Pleurotaceae) in India". Bulletin of Entomological Research. 84 (2): 247–254. doi:10.1017/S0007485300039754.
3. Baker et al. 2019. Pennsylvania State University Fact Sheet. https://ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/phorid-flies-mushroom
4. Rinker, D. L.; Snetsinger, R. J. (1 April 1984). "Damage Threshold to a Commercial Mushroom by a Mushroom-Infesting Phorid (Diptera: Phoridae)". Journal of Economic Entomology. 77 (2): 449–453. doi:10.1093/jee/77.2.449.
5. Scheepmaker, J.W.A.; Geels, F.P.; van Griensven, L.J.L.D.; Smits, P.H. (1998). "Susceptibility of larvae of the mushroom fly Megaselia halterata to the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema feltiae in bioassays". BioControl. 43 (2): 201–214. Bibcode:1998BioCo..43..201S. doi:10.1023/A:1009954401065. S2CID   37370189.
6. Navarro, María Jesús; Gea, Francisco José (January 2014). "Entomopathogenic nematodes for the control of phorid and sciarid flies in mushroom crops". Pesquisa Agropecuária Brasileira. 49 (1): 11–17. doi: 10.1590/S0100-204X2014000100002 .
7. Navarro, María Jesús; Escudero-Colomar, Lucía Adriana; Carrasco, Jaime; Gea, Francisco José (September 2021). "Mushroom Phorid Flies-A Review" (PDF). Agronomy. 11 (10): 1958. Bibcode:2021Agron..11.1958N. doi: 10.3390/agronomy11101958 .