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Sciaroidea is a superfamily in the infraorder Bibionomorpha. There are about 16 families and more than 15,000 described species in Sciaroidea. Most of its constituent families are various gnats.
| Sciaroidea | |
|---|---|
 | |
| The Hessian fly (Mayetiola destructor, Cecidomyiidae) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Diptera |
| Infraorder: | Bibionomorpha |
| Superfamily: | Sciaroidea |
As nematoceran flies, sciaroid adults generally have long segmented antennae, while their larvae have a well-developed head and mouthparts.[1]
Aside from this, sciaroids vary in appearance. For example, Sciaridae adults have each eye extended dorsally to form an "eye bridge", a feature not found in related families.[2] Cecidomyiidae adults have a distinctive reduced wing venation, while their larvae are atypical for nematoceran larvae in having a very small head capsule.[3]
Most fungus gnats (Sciaroidea excluding Cecidomyiidae) live in forests with their larvae occurring in fungi, dead wood and soil. There are some which live in wetlands such as fens.[4] Several genera of Sciaridae and Mycetophilidae may reach high abundances in damp buildings with wet organic matter.[5]
Some species of Sciaridae and Cecidomyiidae are among the rare Diptera that spend their entire lives in soil. These are wingless as adults.[6]
Sciaroid larvae typically feed on fungi but there are some which form plant galls (many Cecidomyiidae) or prey on other invertebrates (Keroplatidae).[7]
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A 2016 molecular phylogenetic analysis confirmed that Sciaroidea is a monophyletic group and should include both Cecidomyiidae and Ditomyiidae.[8]
These 15 families belong to the superfamily Sciaroidea:[9]
- Bolitophilidae Meigen, 1818
- Cecidomyiidae Newman, 1835 – gall midges and wood midges, sometimes excluded from Sciaroidea
- Diadocidiidae Winnertz, 1863
- Ditomyiidae Kylin, 1919
- Keroplatidae Rondani (incl. Lygistorrhinidae Edwards, 1925) – long-beaked & predatory fungus gnats
- Mycetophilidae Newman, 1834
- Rangomaramidae Jaschhof and Didham, 2002 – long-winged fungus gnats[10]
- Sciaridae Billberg, 1820 – dark-winged fungus gnats
- † Antefungivoridae Rohdendorf, 1938
- † Archizelmiridae Rohdendorf, 1962
- † Eoditomyiidae
- † Mesosciophilidae
- † Paraxymyiidae Rohdendorf, 1946
- † Pleciofungivoridae Rohdendorf, 1946
- † Protopleciidae
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