DIPTERA 
FAM. MYCETOPHILIDiE 
by OsKAR A. JOHANNSEN, Ph. D. 
WITH 7 PLAIN PLATES 
Ilthough over a thousand species contained in upward of one hundred genera have been 
described, the Mycetophihdae of the world are yet but imperfectly known. Many of the 
genera are very widely distributed, occurring in all parts of the world, others apparently 
have a very linnited range. By far the largest number of species have been described from 
Europe, while the known forms from Asia, Africa and South America may almost be reckoned upon 
the fingers. Entomologists have long been acquainted with several members of this family, both 
Reaumur and Degeer having described the immature as well as the adult stages of several species. The 
earliest known forms were classified in the Linnean genus Tipiila; to Bosc belongs the credit of having 
defined the first Mycetophilid genus, Ceroplatiis, in 1792. Meigen was the first to publish extensively 
upon this familv and his works form the foundation of all later work. But few monographs have 
appeared. The first, Observationes de speciebits nonulles generis Mycetophila vel novis, vel minus cognitis, by 
F. H. Stannius, was published in i83i. The most important and indeed the only comprehensive paper 
which forms the basis of all recent systematic work was written by J. Winnertz, published in i863, and 
deals with the European fauna. The year following, Schiner in his Fauna Austriaca tabulated the 
Austi'ian genera and species. Of the more recent writers whose works are of special importance may be 
mentioned Dziedzicki, Lundstrom, Skuse and Marshall. 
Our knowledge of the early stages of these flies is by no means extensive, although a number of 
isolated observations have been published. These were collected by Baron C. R. von Osten Sacken, 
and together with some researches of his own were published in 1864. They were reprinted in 1884 
with a few additions; since then but little has been published upon the biology. 
Geological distribution. — In spite of the small size and fragile character of these insects they 
appear to have been preserved from mesozoic times. Brodie has described several species from the 
English Purbecks. Others have been described by Westwood, Giebel, Scudder and Cockerell. The 
