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Other methods for controlling fungus gnats include drenching the soil annually in an insecticidal soap. Hydrogen peroxide can be mixed with water and used to kill fungus gnat larvae in infected soil with a mixture of one part 3% hydrogen peroxide mixed with four parts water, then applied to the soil.
In general, gnats go through the four life stages of egg, larva, pupa and adult, [6] similar to other flies. The fungus gnats lay their eggs in moist organic debris or soil, which hatch into larvae. The larvae feed on organic matter such as leaf mold, mulch, compost, grass clippings, root hairs and fungi.
The life cycle of only a few species has been studied in any detail, mainly those which are pests of commercially grown mushrooms. Sciarid larvae often occur in decaying plant matter such as rotten wood or under the bark of fallen trees, but can also be found in animal feces or fungi. [ 2 ]
Fungus gnats are a common pest among houseplants.These small flies tend to go unnoticed at first, slowly building their populations by laying eggs on the soil of our container plants.
Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, commonly known as zombie-ant fungus, [2] is an insect-pathogenic fungus, discovered by the British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace in 1859. Zombie ants, infected by the Ophiocordyceps unilateralis fungus, are predominantly found in tropical rainforests .
Mycetophilidae is a family of small flies, forming the bulk of those species known as fungus gnats. About 3000 described species are placed in 150 genera, but the true number of species is undoubtedly much higher. They are generally found in the damp habitats favoured by their host fungi and sometimes form dense swarms. [1]
There are three distinct gnat species, each harmless but annoying: Fungus gnats look like little mosquitoes and do not bite. Fruit flies have big, red eyes, and drain flies are lighter and hairy.
The larvae eat fungus spores which grow upon the webbing to sustain themselves, mainly from saprophytic species of fungus that feed on decaying plant matter. [2] The webbing built by the larvae likely also provides a protective environment against predators as larvae have been observed retreating when the webbing is suddenly vibrated. [ 2 ]