CHAPTER V. 
THE MYCETOPHILIDA, 
OR ‘* FUNGUS GNATS.” 
THE Mycetophilide are a large family of gnats related to the 
Cecidomyide, and formerly contained two genera (Catocha and Les- 
tremia), which are now placed in the latter family, although both 
these genera show affinities to the Sciarine. 
The following names are synonymous with the family— 
Mycetophiline et Sciarine, Zett. 
Mycetophilites, Newman. 
Tip. Mycetophilides, Westwood. 
Tip. Fungicole, Mg. 
On the one hand we see the family is closely connected to the 
Cecidomyide by Lestremia, etc., and on the other to the Bibionide by 
the genus Anareze, which was for a long time retained in the family 
we are dealing with now. Besides these two connections there are 
also close affinities to the “ Fleas,”* as exemplified by the genus 
Mycetophila, and, according to Walker, especially by the species. 
M. nigra, a northern species, but from the description of it given by 
Zetterstedt in his “Insecta Lapponica” (p. 860), -I fail to see any 
resemblance unless in the appearance of the legs, but even there it 
is very slight. 
These “fungus gnats” also appear to be connected to the 
Tipulide through the genus Dzxa, which for a long time has been 
hovering from family to family, and at last has been satisfactorily 
disposed of by raising it to a family of its own in the neighbourhood 
of the Ptychopteride. 
In many respects the problematical dixa resembled the genus 
Bolitophila. Ut was included in the family under consideration by 
Meigen and Zetterstedt, but is now definitely separated from it. 
At present the Mycetophilide seem to be little understood, 
My cetophilide = 
* Walker’s Ins. Brit., viii., p. 6. 
