The family Sciaridae (Diptera) in Southern Norway

The project is a joint venture between BioFokus and Senckenberg Deutsches Entomologisches Institut (SDEI).

Sciaridae is one of the largest families of Diptera in Norway, and one of the most poorly studied. The potential for finding new species for the Norwegian fauna and species new to science are huge. <

Sciaridae (black fungus gnats or sciarids) are mostly small, dark-colored gnats with elongate bodies, long legs and unmarked wings. Adults are short-lived and assimilate, if any, then liquid food. The gnats are found in a wide range of habitats, typically forest of all kinds, but also open landscapes including moorland, meadow and pasture. Damp biotopes are richest in species, but a number of taxa have been found in drier environments including arable land and desert. Adult sciarids are agile runners rather than active flyers, so are usually found close to the habitat of their larvae. Some species are regularly found indoors, reproducing in flower pots and the like, and then attract the attention also of the layman. Sciarid larvae live in all kinds of plant debris including dead wood and can reach remarkable densities in the upper layers of soil. Larvae of some species inhabit excrements, mushrooms and bracket fungi, or even living plants where they feed on root tissue or as miners on leaves and stems.

Knowledge of Sciaridae at the species level is important for understanding the complexity of terrestrial ecosystems, particularly with respect to decomposition processes in forests. Sciaridae species have become known as pests in forestry, horticulture and agriculture, both on open land and in greenhouses, most importantly in commercial mushroom cultures.

Project leader: Øivind Gammelmo, BioFokus
Project period: January 2014 – December 2016
Collaborators: Senckenberg Deutsches Entomologisches Institut (SDEI), NorBOL and Natural History Museum in Oslo